FEMA Recognizes Manatee County for Becoming Class 5 Community

MANATEE COUNTY – A FEMA official today presented Manatee County with its official Class 5 Community Rating which will save thousands of Manatee County flood insurance policy holders a total of $2.6 million on their annual premiums.

Brad Loar, FEMA’s District IV Mitigation Division Manager, presented Manatee County Commissioners with a plaque stating, ”Your 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 (the National Flood Insurance Program) participation and effective floodplain management.“

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has categorized Manatee County as a Class 5 community -- a one-grade improvement from the Class 6 Manatee County achieved in 2004. The new rating resulted in nearly 12,000 flood insurance policy holders inside high risk 100-year floodplain areas seeing premium savings increase from $174 per year to $218 per year.

The group in high-risk areas already was saving 20 percent on annual premiums when Manatee County was ranked as a Class 6 community. The improved rating raises the annual savings for this group from just over $2 million to $2.619 million. Another 744 policy holders in low-to-moderate risk areas will continue to save the maximum discount of 10 percent on their annual premiums. With the rating improvement, Manatee’s overall community savings will be $2.675 million.

Policy holders already were saving about $2.1 million thanks to steps the County has taken in prior years. Flood policy holders will be notified of their savings when their 2011 flood insurance bills are mailed later this year and next.

FEMA’s Community Rating System is a voluntary incentive program that encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed FEMA’s minimum requirements.

Communities can receive discounts when they take measures to reduce flood losses, facilitate accurate insurance ratings and promote the awareness of flood insurance.

Manatee County improved its community rating through several improvements in recent years, including:

¥ Sending outreach mailers;
¥ Improving stormwater management practices;
¥ Implementing a Local Mitigation Strategy, a planning document is designed to reduce or eliminate risks to people and property from natural and man-made hazards;
¥ Adopting a 2009 comprehensive plan amendment that adjusted the land use category of 40 parcels to a less intense category.

Several County departments were involved in the improved rating, particularly Building, Planning, Public Safety, Information Services, Public Works and Neighborhood Services departments.

”It is obvious that Manatee County staff is committed to floodplain management and protecting the citizens of Manatee County and surrounding communities from future flood events,“ Loar said. ”Manatee County staff was well prepared, cooperative and eager to learn how to advance in the CRS program.“

County Administrator Ed Hunzeker commended the team of County employees who, he said, ”have worked diligently to bring this honor to the county.“ Building and Development Services Director John Barnott challenged the team to work toward a Class 4 rating in the future which would save policy holders even more.

To learn more about Manatee County’s upgrade, call Manatee County Floodplain Investigator Sandy Tudor at (941) 745-3078. For more information on the Community Rating System, visit http://www.fema.gov/business/nfip/crs.shtm