Mitigation Highlight of the Season - Summer

Hull, Massachusetts

hull with art

Local officials in the Town of Hull, Mass. have worked tirelessly to get Hull into the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Community Ratings System (CRS), and for residents with flood insurance, their hard work will continue to pay off – literally.

CRS is a voluntary program which recognizes and encourages enhanced community floodplain management actions such as public information, flood preparedness, and flood damage reduction activities.  It is part of FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).  Hull’s entrance into CRS makes flood insurance policy-holders there eligible for a 10 percent discount for properties located in areas with a high risk for flooding.  The discount will go into effect at time of policy renewal after May 1, 2008. 

The induction of the Town of Hull into the CRS was recognized during a recent plaque presentation.  At the event, Ms. Joan Meschino, Chair of the Board of Selectmen for the Town of Hull was presented with a plaque by Art Cleaves, Regional Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Region 1 Office.  The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) also played a key role in ensuring Hull’s entrance into the program.  DCR is FEMA’s state partner in implementing the NFIP and CRS in Massachusetts.

The NFIP sets minimum floodplain management standards and a community must exceed those standards to be eligible for CRS.  A community accrues points to improve its CRS class rating and receive increasingly higher discounts.  Points are awarded for engaging in any of 18 creditable activities, under the categories of public information; mapping and regulations; flood damage reduction; and flood preparation.  Hull will be rated as a Class 8 Community, meaning that each policy holder in the town will receive a ten percent discount on their flood insurance.

plaque present

With the discount in place, Hull residents will collectively save $265,000 annually on policies – approximately $125 on each policy.  The Town of Hull currently has 2,200 policies in place, more than most other Massachusetts towns.

Citizens and property owners in CRS communities have increased opportunities to learn about risk, evaluate their individual vulnerability, and take actions to protect themselves and their homes and businesses.

“Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Joan Meschino and Conservation Administrator Anne Herbst should be applauded for their steadfast efforts to take the necessary steps to join CRS.  Their commitment to enhanced public safety is commendable,” said Art Cleaves, Regional Administrator for FEMA Region I, which covers the six New England states.

333 communities participate in the NFIP in Massachusetts and 14 of those are CRS communities.  The NFIP is a federal program enabling property owners in participating communities to purchase flood insurance as protection against flood losses, while requiring state and local governments to enforce floodplain management ordinances that reduce future flood damages.

Want your community to join CRS?  A list of resources about CRS is available at the CRS Web site, www.fema.gov/business/nfip/crs.shtm.  Information about flood insurance can visit www.floodsmart.gov or www.fema.gov.

Last Modified: Thursday, 07-Aug-2008 09:22:40 EDT