Dare County Awarded Increase in CRS Ranking

Dare County Awarded Increase in CRS Ranking

Dare County has received notice from FEMA that Dare County’s ranking will increase to Class 7 from a Class 8 in the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).  This increase in CRS ranking will result in a 15 percent discount in the premium cost of flood insurance for NFIP policies issued or renewed in flood zones for the unincorporated areas of Dare County on or after May 1, 2017.    The CRS is a voluntary program associated with the NFIP whereby participating communities implement outreach activities and adopt regulations that are designed to increase awareness of flood hazards, mitigate flood risks, and protect the natural functions of floodplains. Dare County has participated in the CRS program since its inception in the early 1990s and has held a Class 8 rating since 2005.    

This Class 7 rank and its associated 15 percent discount represents the culmination of months of work by Dare County officials.  CRS personnel notified Dare County in 2014 that unless new activities and regulations were implemented, Dare County’s ranking would decrease to a Class 9 under updated CRS guidelines.  After receiving that notification, Dare County has worked diligently to ensure the County’s ranking did not revert to a Class 9 thereby dropping the CRS discount to only 5 percent for flood insurance premiums.   The goal of increasing the CRS ranking was identified by the Board of Commissioners in 2014.   Since that time, a series of outreach activities and higher regulatory standards have been identified and implemented by Dare County.     Dare County officials were assisted in the development of the County’s outreach activities by a committee of local residents and stakeholders. 

Donna Creef, Dare County Planning Director, shared the news with the Dare County Board of Commissioners during their April 3, 2017 meeting. “This is good news for the property owners of unincorporated Dare County since it means a greater cost savings on their flood insurance premiums,” Creef said.  “The Class 7 rank demonstrates the commitment of Dare County to implement measures directly benefitting the property owners of unincorporated Dare County while at the same time ensuring flood risks are mitigated and citizens are educated on the importance of flood insurance.”

The six towns in Dare County also participate in the Community Rating System and are rated separately by FEMA for activities undertaken by their municipal staffs.