The National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.

As a result, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions meeting the three goals of the CRS:

• Reduce flood losses
• Facilitate accurate insurance rating
• Promote the awareness of flood insurance

For CRS participating communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted in increments of five percent, for example, a Class 1 community would receive a 45 percent premium discount, while a Class 9 community would receive a five percent discount (a Class 10 is not participating in the CRS and receives no discount). The CRS classes for local communities are based on 18 creditable activities, organized under four categories:

• Public Information
• Mapping and Regulations
• Flood Damage Reduction
• Flood Preparedness

CRS Communities at work and saving you money

As of June 25, 2008   

NFIP Insurance Terms

SFHA – Special Flood Hazard Zones, A, AE, A numbered, V, VE, V numbered

Preferred – NFIP Insurance Term Non-Special Flood Hazard Zones, B, C, X

---