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Residents in Oxford, MD Save Money on Flood Insurance Thanks to Community Rating System

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Release Date:
十一月 13, 2020

The FEMA Community Rating System is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Residents of Oxford, MD, now have lower flood insurance premiums as a result of the community’s initiatives to implement better floodplain management measures encouraged by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) created the voluntary Community Rating System (CRS) program to recognize local efforts to reduce flood risk and to reward communities, their residents and businesses, by saving them money on flood insurance premiums. The Town of Oxford is being recognized because, effective May 1, 2020, the town entered CRS as a Class 7 and is now one of only 16 participating NFIP communities in Maryland to qualify for CRS.

"Oxford’s leadership, hard work, and accomplishments in floodplain management are to be celebrated because the Town’s actions provide critical protection to its citizens and properties” said Julius Lockhart, Floodplain Management and Insurance specialist, when he presented a plaque to town officials through a virtual ceremony on Nov. 10. “In addition to insurance cost savings, CRS communities take steps targeted to minimize overall flood risk and build community resilience. We would like to thank the town for taking actions to protect lives and property from future flood risk.”

NFIP policies written in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) of Oxford may now receive a 15 percent premium discount resulting in an average annual savings of $141 for each policy. In addition, standard policies written outside the FEMA-mapped floodplain may receive a 5 percent annual premium discount. Overall, a Class 7 rating results in a total savings of $32,575.00 annually for the citizens here.

Under the CRS program, local officials are asked to meet three goals: (1) reduce flood losses, (2) facilitate accurate insurance rating and (3) promote the awareness of flood insurance. Communities that apply to participate in CRS are required to provide information demonstrating their floodplain management program exceeds the minimum compliance requirements of the NFIP. The program includes 10 class rating levels based on the number and type of activities initiated by participating communities. For each class advancement, NFIP policy holders receive an additional 5 percent reduction in their flood insurance premiums up to a 45 percent reduction for a Class 1 community.

“In addition to benefiting from insurance cost savings, CRS communities minimize overall flood risk and build community resilience,” stated MaryAnn Tierney, FEMA Region 3 regional administrator. “We would like to thank the Town of Oxford for taking actions to protect lives and property from flooding.”

Read this FEMA CRS fact sheet for more information about the program.

If you have any questions, please contact FEMA Region 3 Office of External Affairs at (215) 931-5597 or at femar3newsdesk@fema.dhs.gov          

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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.

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