Report on Community Hazard Mitigation Strategy Released

Floodplain property owners receive discount on flood insurance premiums

March 17, 2023

Good news for Tallahassee flood insurance policyholders! Tallahassee citizens will save approximately $200,000 in annual flood insurance premium costs thanks to the City of Tallahassee's efforts through the Community Rating System (CRS) program.

As part of this, the City has released a progress report on hazard mitigation initiatives. The Tallahassee-Leon County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Progress Report is prepared by City staff and Stormwater Management to meet requirements of the federal Community Rating System (CRS) annual recertification. Because of the City's proactive Stormwater Management program and participation in the CRS, Tallahassee floodplain property owners automatically receive a 25 percent discount on premiums when they purchase flood insurance. Despite changes in the program requirements that made achieving this milestone more demanding, the City has been successful in again securing this discount for floodplain property owners.

The CRS program awards credit points to communities that perform floodplain management activities beyond the minimum requirements of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program. The Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) report includes details on issues ranging from increased intergovernmental coordination of floodplain management to promoting disaster resistant critical facilities. Current activities include retrofitting owner occupied, low-income homes to improve disaster resistance; identifying areas within the community where future development should be avoided due to the potential for flood damage; and recent updates to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps.

The City also receives points for communicating with residents about the program. Look in your September Utility bill for a special insert.

In addition to providing discounts on flood insurance, the City's floodplain management activities are intended to help reduce the risk of flood-related losses during major rain events. For more information or to view the report, please visit the City's website at Talgov.com (http://bit.ly/2wr5xb1) or call Stormwater Management at 850-891-6860.

The LMS, which is updated every five years, is a comprehensive hazard mitigation plan intended to make the Tallahassee-Leon County community safer and more resistant to natural, manmade and other types of hazards. In part due to the LMS, the Tallahassee-Leon County community has been able to pursue federal and state grant dollars more effectively for projects focused on disaster resilience.