Community Rating System

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The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary, incentive-based community program that recognizes, encourages, and rewards local floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum standards of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). CRS provides a framework and a variety of technical resources to help participating communities implement a comprehensive flood risk management program designed to reduce and avoid flood losses and to strengthen the insurance aspects of the NFIP. In return, flood insurance rates for existing policyholders community-wide are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from community actions. 

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The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) maintains a comprehensive web resource for communities interested in participating in the CRS program. The website includes information for communities that are new to CRS; program pre-requisites; a description of CRS-eligible activities; a calculator for determining CRS points; on Community Assistance Visits (CAVs); and information about maintaining CRS status. The portal also includes a map of all participating communities in Colorado and their current CRS rating.

The City of Delta recognized that the benefits of CRS extend beyond flood insurance premium discounts. Despite having less than 20 NFIP policyholders in the entire community, the City has actively participated in the program since 1996 and is currently rated as CRS Class 8. Delta receives credit points for a number of ongoing and routine municipal activities, including significant points for open space preservation and drainage system maintenance. The City also gets credit for public outreach activities administered by its Community Development Department, such as annual mailings to local realtors and insurance companies about floodplain management, hazard disclosure, and its participation in CRS. The City has also promoted the advantages of purchasing flood insurance at public meetings, presentations to community groups, and through local newspaper articles. 

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The primary benefit and motivation for communities to participate in CRS is the reduction in flood insurance premiums for resident policyholders. Other benefits include:

  • Enhanced life safety and reduction in damage to property and public infrastructure, avoidance of economic disruption and losses, reduction in human suffering, and protection of the environment provided by the credited activities.
  • Access to training, technical assistance, and other resources made available to CRS communities.
  • Ability to evaluate local programs and activities against state and nationally recognized benchmarks.
  • Recognition for strong local floodplain management programs.
  • The program is not all about creating new activities or policies. Communities can often obtain credit points for activities and policies they are already implementing.
  • There is no cost to participate. The only costs the community incurs are to implement creditable floodplain management activities and the staff time needed to document those activities and prepare for and participate in the recertification process and verification visits.

The most significant challenge for communities is the administration of the program. Each community must designate a local representative to oversee the development, implementation, and documentation of activities for which they are seeking credit. Documenting requirements for credit verification can be time-consuming depending on existing recordkeeping practices. Other challenges include:

  • A modification to a community’s CRS classification requires additional submittal materials, and is limited to one modification per year.
  • Prerequisites for advanced classes can become a road block.
  • With staff turnover, the program can be difficult to administer.
Key Facts

Administrative Capacity

Experienced planner; floodplain manager

Mapping

Depends on chosen activities

Regulatory Requirements

N/A

Maintenance

Annual review required by FEMA to maintain credit rating

Adoption Required

No

Statutory Reference 

N/A

Associated Costs

Staff time, training and reporting

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events