FEMA rating system can save Coast homeowners money on flood ...

JOHN FITZHUGH/SUN HERALD A flooded house in the Helena community in Jackson County on Friday Aug. 31, 2012 after rain from Hurricane Isaac caused flooding in the area.

JOHN FITZHUGH ? SUN HERALD Buy Photo

FEMA's Community Rating System is like golf -- the lower the score the better the outcome.

Property owners with buildings in the flood plains in Biloxi, Pascagoula and Waveland have the lowest scores and the biggest discounts in the region. Because the cities took steps to improve their ratings to a 5, property owners in the flood plain get a 25 percent discount on their annual premium through the National Flood Insurance Program.

For a home in a special flood hazard area, that's a

savings of $1,000 on a $4,000 premium. Those outside the flood area should get a preferred rate and a 10 percent discount, said Jerry Creel, Biloxi's community development director.

These are the only three cities in Mississippi with a 5 rating and no communities in Alabama or Louisiana with a rating lower than a 6. The program is voluntary and provides incentives for communities to provide protection from flooding. All communities start out with a Class 10 rating and earn points to lower rating through public information, mapping and regulation, flood damage reduction and flood preparedness.

Creel said Biloxi participates because it's something the city can do to reduce flood insurance premiums in low-lying areas where it is more expensive to build. The lower premiums offset the cost of elevating homes and building to higher construction standards, he said.

Biloxi has gone from a 7 to a 5 rating in about three years, in part because one person works all year looking for activities to improve the rating. Ocean Springs' rating improved from a 7 to a 6 this year, increasing the discount from 15 percent to 20 percent in a flood area.

D'Iberville's rating declined from a 5 to a 6, which means property owners in the flood area will pay an additional 5 percent this year. But those living in the newly-annexed area could see their ratings decrease because the city's 6 rating is better than Harrison County's 8.

Hancock County doesn't participate and Jackson County has the highest rate in South Mississippi because it just got into the CRS program about 18 months ago, said Marcus Cathchot, building official.

"It just takes time," he said. "We're doing as much as we can as fast as we can." He said Jackson County recently adopted standard building codes, which have a lot to do with ratings, but decided not to require a freeboard for an additional foot above the flood elevation. "We think the elevations regulations are pretty stringent as they are," he said.

Waveland Fire Chief Mike Smith and Mayor David Garcia have worked together to lower the city's flood ratings since before Hurricane Katrina, when the city was a class 8 and was about to be placed on probation with the National Flood Insurance Program, Smith said.

Through their efforts, Waveland achieved the first 5 in the state.

"It's hard to obtain and hard to keep but it's more important than ever," Smith said.

New regulations just introduced mean properties in flood zones could lose their grandfather status for flood elevation, he said. His current $300 payment on his home would jump to $3,289 annually without the grandfathering, he said.

Before the new FEMA flood elevations were adopted, 30 percent of the city was in the flood zone. Now he said more than 90 percent of the city is included.

Source: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/06/10/4725259/femas-community-rating-system.html

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