Issaquah Earns CRS 5 Rating - Residents Pay Less For Flood Insurance
Release Date: November 15, 2002
Release Number: R10-03-08
Seattle, WA -- Issaquah residents already enjoy reduced flood insurance premiums as a result of their city's active participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS). According to FEMA Regional Director John Pennington, they're about to pay even less.
"The CRS rewards communities for implementing programs and policies which protect their citizens from flooding," said Pennington. "Such activities can range from mapping, regulations and flood damage reduction to flood preparedness and public awareness programs. Issaquah's new standards for protecting critical facilities and regulating water runoff generated by new development earned a CRS Class 5 rating."
Issaquah CRS Coordinator Kerry Ritland agrees. "We recently updated the floodplain maps for Issaquah Creek and East Fork Issaquah Creek, which helps the City regulate development to avoid future damage and costs, and freely shared that information with our colleagues at FEMA," said Ritland. "We've also paid very close attention to maintaining and improving our drainage systems. We can't stop the rain - but we can help protect our citizens from the worst effects of flooding, and that's what the CRS is all about."
Flood insurance premium reductions resulting from "above and beyond the minimum" initiatives run in five percent increments, from five percent to 45 percent. Class ratings range from Ten to One. The higher the flood protection activity, the lower the Class rating. Issaquah's new Class 5 rating has earned policyholders a 25 percent reduction on flood insurance premiums. The average savings is $87 per policy per year.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 27-Aug-2003 15:02:50