Public safety one of many benefits to King County 's new ‘best in the nation' floodplain management rating

Oct. 19, 2005

Public safety one of many benefits to King County 's new 'best in the nation' floodplain management rating

Citizens enjoy 35 percent reduction in flood insurance premiums

With devastating flood waters inundating Gulf Coast communities last month and underscoring the importance of floodplain planning, King County residents can be comforted by today's "best in the nation" recognition for the county's unmatched flood protection efforts. This rating translates into more than $200 savings on flood insurance premiums each year for residents of unincorporated King County .

King County 's floodplain management programs today were honored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with the top community rating of any county in the United States . The news is not only terrific for floodplain residents hoping to stay safe and dry and keep property damage down when riverbanks overflow, but it translates directly into reduced flood insurance premiums for King County residents.

"Given the devastation we have all witnessed on our televisions as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I can't tell you how reassuring it feels to earn this rating and have FEMA distinguish our programs that help keep people safe, reduce damages and keep flood insurance premiums down for our residents," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "This is a truly shining moment for good local government providing an exceptional regional service.

"And yet there is still work to be done," Sims said. "We know the rivers will be rising, and that's why it is so important to support sound flood hazard management programs with an emphasis on long term solutions, and that we invest in the infrastructure that helps us keep our residents safe, prevents property damage and saves our citizens money."

King County 's floodplain management rating is given by FEMA under the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS), which recognizes communities that go beyond the federal government's minimum requirements for floodplain management. King County is now upgraded from a Class 4 to a Class 3. This will save floodplain insurance holders 35 percent overall on annual premium costs. The average savings is $206 per policy per year. Countywide, the savings will exceed $341,000 a year. The savings will be passed on directly to flood insurance policy holders in unincorporated King County . This cost reduction went into effect Oct. 1, 2005 .

King County now has the best CRS rating of any county in the United States . And to put a Class 3 rating into perspective, of more than 1,000 communities nationwide participating in the CRS program, only 30 have ratings as low as Class 5. There are only two communities in the entire nation - King County and the City of Tulsa, OK - with a rating of Class 3 or better.

" King County has done an outstanding job of developing and implementing a comprehensive floodplain management program. They remain a national leader in preparing their residents for all hazards," said John Pennington, FEMA Region 10 Director. "Equally impressive is the fact that King County 's floodplain management program continues to improve and provide even greater protection against flood losses at a time when local government resources have steadily diminished. With this Class 3 CRS rating, King County residents join an elite group of communities nation-wide who receive such significant savings on the cost of their annual flood insurance premiums."

The King County departments of Natural Resources and Parks and Development and Environmental Services work closely to coordinate the planning and implementation of floodplain management in King County to reduce the hazards and impacts to residents living in flood-prone areas. Their efforts result in discounted flood insurance rates for all policy holders in unincorporated King County . Highlights include, but are not limited to:

Developing a comprehensive Flood Hazard Reduction Plan adopted by the King County Council that recommends comprehensive and long-term solutions to flood problems;
Performing floodplain mapping studies to reflect up-to-date conditions in FEMA's regulatory floodplain maps and to delineate channel migration hazard areas and other flood related hazards;
Maintaining extensive Geographical Information Systems (GIS) capabilities used to map and regulate flood hazard areas;
Enforcing a variety of construction and development regulations pertaining to flood hazard areas, including the Critical Areas Ordinance;
Maintaining and distributing floodplain elevation certificates for new construction and development within flood hazard areas;
Operating King County's Flood Warning Center, which alerts other public agencies, residents and businesses on a 7-day, 24-hour basis during flood events on: the status of river flows and dam operations, flood warning forecasts issued by the National Weather Service, road closures, and/or the need to evacuate;
Providing annual public outreach and community awareness programs to agencies, residents and landowners about floodplain hazards and floodplain management services
Constructing capital improvement projects for flood hazard reduction;
Acquiring, relocating, and elevating residential structures located in flood hazard areas;
Maintaining an inventory of flood protection facilities, including levees, revetments, pump plants weirs, and instream structural elements.

Anyone can purchase flood insurance and property does not have to reside in a flood hazard area to be insured. For more information on flood insurance policies, residents should call 1-888-FLOOD29.