If your community participates in FEMA’s CRS, you can design the mitigation planning process to maximize CRS credit for floodplain management planning. The CRS rewards communities that go beyond the minimum standards for floodplain management under the NFIP by providing flood insurance premium discounts for policy holders in the community.
The points available through the planning process account for almost one-third of the total allowable points. Communities that want to lower their flood insurance costs and maximize their CRS rating should make sure that the planning process lines up with the CRS criteria as closely as it can. FEMA has two major hazard mitigation planning programs. The first is local multi-hazard mitigation planning associated with the Stafford Act hazard mitigation provisions. The second is floodplain management planning under the CRS. The number of communities with local mitigation plans is growing. So, too, is the number of CRS-participating communities that want to improve their CRS class and increase their flood insurance discount under the NFIP.
Each program helps communities reduce their flood risk. All too often, though, if a community prepares both, they are done separately with different planning products. This does not have to be the case. Communities can coordinate these two processes. This will help the mitigation plan earn the maximum number of points possible.