May 19, 2015
LOCAL GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS:
THE NFIP COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM
Mary-Carson Stiff, Director of Policy, Wetlands Watch
Roy Hoagland, Director, Virginia Coastal Policy Center, W&M Law
Closing the Deal: How to respond to the
new realities of flood insurance
THE COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM (CRS)
•  Voluntary NFIP program offers discounts on
flood insurance to reward good floodplain
management within a community
•  Various activities to
improve floodplain
management/earn credit
•  Administered by “community” = government
division with land use authority (locality)
CRS RATING TABLE
Class Points Premium Reduc2on 1 4500+ 45% 2 4000-­‐4499 40% 3 3500-­‐3999 35% 4 3000-­‐3499 30% 5 2500-­‐2999 25% 6 2000-­‐2499 20% 7 1500-­‐1999 15% 8 1000-­‐1499 10% 9 500-­‐999 5% 10 0-­‐499 0% CRS ACTIVITY EXAMPLES
•  Public Information
• 
Outreach, hazard disclosure
•  Mapping and Regulations
• 
Open space preservation, stormwater
management regulations, GIS
•  Flood Damage Reduction
• 
Acquisition/relocation, mitigation, floodplain
management planning
•  Warning and Response
• 
Flood emergency management, dams, levees
VIRGINIA
AND THE
CRS
•  23 participating VA communities
•  Class 5: City of Alexandria
•  In 2013, 55,000 policyholders in VA
saved $3 million in premium costs
VIRGINIA
AND THE
CRS
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency CRS COST SAVINGS: GLOUCESTER (CLASS 7)
CRS COST SAVINGS: MATHEWS (NOT
IN
CRS)
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SHOULD JOIN
• 
• 
THE
CRS
Why local governments decide not to join CRS
• 
Staff time & local government $$ to join and remain in
CRS
• 
Local government doesn’t benefit financially from CRS
Why they should join
• 
Protecting health, safety, & welfare of citizens
• 
Benefits of disaster clean up, which saves taxpayers $
• 
Every $1 spent on disaster mitigation saves $4 in disaster clean up
• 
Adopting a program that hits citizens’ pocketbooks
• 
Locality owned buildings with NFIP policies receive
reductions just like private businesses & homeowners
CRS ACTIVITY EXAMPLE #1: FREEBOARD SAVES $$$
• 
Requiring new buildings are built to a safe height
(freeboard) – written into local government ordinance
CRS ACTIVITY EXAMPLE #1: REGIONAL FREEBOARDS
Local Government Freeboard Ordinance Local Government Freeboard Ordinance Cape Charles
1 Foot
Northumberland County 2 Feet
Richmond
1 Foot
Roanoke
2 Feet
Southampton County 1 Foot
Virginia Beach
2 Feet
Newport News
1 Foot (proposing 2)
Hampton
3 Feet
Chesapeake
1.5 Feet
Norfolk
3 Feet
Isle of Wight County 1.5 Feet
Poquoson
3 Feet
Lancaster
1.5 Feet
Wachapreague
3 Feet
Portsmouth
1.5 Feet (proposing 3)
York County
3 Feet
Accomack County
2 Feet
Franklin
At Base Flood Elevation
Chincoteague
2 Feet
Mathews County
At Base Flood Elevation
Gloucester
2 Feet
Suffolk
At Base Flood Elevation
James City County
2 Feet
Williamsburg
At Base Flood Elevation
CRS ACTIVITY EXAMPLE #2: STRUCTURAL MITIGATION
Installing flood vents
Elevating structures
Source: www.FEMA.gov
CRS ACTIVITY EXAMPLE #3: REAL ESTATE FACT SHEET
Source:
http://www.fema.gov/media-librarydata/1382362442920b8a016eaf474352c98d54787df1ab79
5/
F696_RealtorFactSheet_508C.PDF
UPDATE
TO
VA RESIDENTIAL DISCLOSURE LAW
•  HB 1642 / SB 775 - Virginia Residential Property Disclosure
Act; representations related to special flood hazard areas
•  Reinforces “buyer-beware” mentality
•  Requires that the seller of property make “no representations
with respect to whether the property is located in one or more
special flood hazard areas and purchasers are advised to
exercise whatever due diligence they deem necessary…”
•  Language will likely be included on the standard waiver
form included in standard real estate transaction closing
packet
•  More info:
•  http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?151+sum
+HB1642
VIRGINIA COASTAL POLICY CENTER: CRS REVIEW
•  VCPC Partnership with the Virginia Department
of Conservation and Recreation
•  Students reviewed locality floodplain ordinances &
identified areas local governments could receive
potential CRS credit
•  Students wrote white paper on two major CRS
programs where local governments could receive
credits (stormwater and open space)
VIRGINIA COASTAL POLICY CENTER: CRS REVIEW
QUESTIONS?
Mary-Carson Stiff, Director of Policy, Wetlands Watch:
[email protected]
Roy Hoagland, Director, Virginia Coastal Policy Center, W&M Law
[email protected]