On August 14th, 2012, the Alachua County Commission
was presented a Plaque from FEMA for improvement to a Class 6 from
Class 7 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. The citizens of Alachua County
would benefit with a 20% discount as opposed to 15% (an additional 5%)
on their Flood Insurance premiums which amounts to an additional
cumulative savings of $28,403 based on 1565 active policies.
The CRS rating is effective May 1st 2012 and good for 5 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 the various Alachua County
Departments; 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 and
- Encourage a comprehensive approach to Floodplain Management.
This reflects the County’s commitment to protecting lives and property through mitigation and wise planning practices.