Performance Measures - 2006 Archive
Flood Safety in King County
The National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary federal incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed minimum federal standards. Based on this rating, individual flood insurance premiums are adjusted to reflect the reduced flood risk in the county. The CRS also encourages programs and projects that preserve or restore the natural state of floodplains and protect these functions. The CRS encourages communities to coordinate their flood loss reduction programs with local jurisdictions, Habitat Conservation Plans and other public and private activities that preserve and protect natural and beneficial floodplain functions.
The 2006 Flood Hazard Reduction Plan was approved by the King County Council late in 2006. In 2007, a new countywide flood control zone district was created. The advisory group composed of elected officials and a citizen representative from jurisdictions throughout King County is meeting over the summer to discuss funding for the plan's implementation. The plan calls for strengthening several river levees and revetments primarily along the Green and Cedar Rivers, originally built in the 1960's.
Observations: King County is in the top one percent of all participating communities and is the highest rated county in the nation for its floodplain management program and services. As a result, flood insurance in Special Flood Hazard Areas is reduced by 35 percent annually for policyholders in unincorporated King County. This translates to a $450,536 annual or $283 average savings per policy. In addition to this cost savings, more important benefits result from activities that save lives and reduce property damages.
Since the 2006 Flood Hazard Management Plan has only recently been adopted and funding for the plan has not yet been approved, tracking implementation of the plan has yet to begin. This part of the performance measure is a placeholder once work does begin.
Our Strategy: King County will work with FEMA and ISO representatives to integrate CRS credit allowance for the recently adopted 2006 Flood Hazard Management Plan, the recent completion of the Lower Snoqualmie River floodplain mapping study, as well as any other creditable activities into the county's CRS Program certification package during the next round of program verification. The 2006 Flood Hazard Management Plan will be coordinated with the King County All Hazards Plan to ensure these plans meet the most current policies and standards of the CRS Coordinators Manual to optimize CRS credit points.
As implementation of the 2006 Flood Hazard Management Plan begins, its progress will be monitored and reported by this measure. This information will offer local jurisdictions, special districts, state and federal agencies, Water Resource Inventory Areas, Tribes, and other stakeholders confidence that King County is implementing the plan and our shared resources efficiently toward reducing flood risks.
| Results, Target and Outcome Ratings | |
|---|---|
| 2006 Results: | 3 CRS Rating |
| 2006 target: | 3 CRS Rating |
| 2007 target: | 2 CRS Rating |
The target for this measure is changing from 3 to 2 (lower number being a higher outcome) because of the improved rating of 3 that King County received in 2005.
Data Reference: DNRP's River and Floodplain Management Program (Water and Land Resources Division, Regional Services Section); www.fema.gov/nfip/crs.shtm.
Water and land resources division capital improvement project locations
2005 - 2007
Click on each river name to download a detailed PDF map.
Technical Notes
For definitions and more detail.
