On September 11, 2018, the Alachua County Commission was presented a plaque from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for improvement to a Class 5 from a Class 6 rating (on a scale from 1 to 10; 10 being the lowest, 1 being the highest) of the Community Rating System (CRS).
The CRS is a voluntary incentive program of the National Flood Insurance Policies (NFIP) and provides for discounted flood insurance premiums to property owners in participating communities. Alachua County homeowners required to carry flood insurance will receive an additional 5% discount (a 25% discount, as opposed to the current 20% discount) on their flood insurance premiums. The CRS rating is effective October 1, 2017, and is good for three years.
Alachua County has been a participating community in the NFIP since 1984 and in the CRS since 1995. The Community Rating System effort is a result of collaboration between various Alachua County Departments including Fire Rescue, Growth Management, Environmental Protection, and Public Works.
The three goals of the CRS are
- Reduce flood damage to insurable property
- Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the NFIP
- Encourage a comprehensive approach to Floodplain Management
"The Community Rating System is based on several activities that Alachua County does through its various programs,” said Community Rating System Coordinator and Floodplain Administrator for Alachua County Lalit Lalwani. “These programs are in the area of flood map information service and flood data maintenance, effective outreach and hazard disclosure, flood protection information and assistance, floodplain mapping, open space preservation, higher regulatory standards, stormwater management, drainage system maintenance, flood warning, and floodplain management planning."
FEMA Director of the Mitigation Division Jesse Munoz stated, "We appreciate the County’s efforts to reduce loss of lives and property damage caused by flooding, as well as their efforts to restore the environmental functions of floodplains, and hold development to standards that exceed the minimum requirements of the NFIP. The community has undertaken a series of meaningful activities to protect its citizens from losses caused by flooding and has significantly exceeded the requirements for NFIP presentation and effective floodplain management."
For more information, contact Lalit Lalwani at 352-548-1243 or llalwani@alachuacounty.us.