Redesigning the Floodplain management brochure to comply with NFIP-CRS section 330

City of Stamford, CT Environmental Protection Board

ENVR 388 10/1/2008

Stamford Environmental Protection Board

• The EPB a multi-purpose city board that is made-up of the:– Inland Wetlands Agency– Conservation Commission– Flood and Erosion Control Board

• The Board also works closely with the Zoning Board• Members of the board:

– Work on city planning- “Sustainable Stamford”– Have degrees in urban architecture and planning, Environmental

Studies.– Many have also done Environmental consulting previously, or have

worked in similar jobs in other cities.– Environmental Studies is very “new”

City of Stamford

Population: 124,000

Located on Long Island Sound

Has an estimated 4,800 properties that are in Flood Zone Areas

The National Flood Insurance Program-Community Rating System

(NFIP-CRS)• The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary

program for NFIP-participating communities. The goals of the CRS are to reduce flood losses, to facilitate accurate insurance rating, and to promote the awareness of flood insurance.

• The CRS has been developed to provide incentives for communities to go beyond the minimum floodplain management requirements to develop extra measures to provide protection from flooding. The incentives are in the form of premium discounts.

How the NFIP-CRS Works:

• Each participating community starts out with a class 10 rating, and the highest possible class rating a community can obtain is a 0.

• The NFIP recognizes 18 different activities as measures that help to eliminate exposure to floods.

• Credit points are assigned to each activity, and the activities are split up into four different categories:– Public Information– Mapping and Regulation– Flood Damage Reduction– Flood Preparedness

Community CRS Credit Points Community Class Premium Reduction -SFHA 4,500+ 1 45%

4,000 - 4,499 2 40%3,500 - 3,999 3 35%3,000 - 3,499 4 30%2,500 - 2,999 5 25%2,000 - 2,499 6 20%1,500 - 1,999 7 15%1,000 - 1,499 8 10%

500 - 999 9 5%0 - 499 10 0%

• Once FEMA approves the measures taken by the community, the community is given its classification

• This classification determines the premium discount for policy holders.

• Premium discounts will be applied to every policy written in a community as recognition of the floodplain management activities instituted.

NFIP-CRS

Stamford is the only Class 7 community in the state of Connecticut

COMMUNITY NAME CURRENT CLASS % DISCOUNT

Connecticut Cheshire, Town of 10 0East Haven, Town of 8 10East Lyme, Town of 9 5Hamden, Town of 10 0Newtown, Town of 9 5Norwalk, City of 10 0Stamford, City of 7 15Stonington, Borough of 9 5Stonington, Town of 9 5West Hartford, Town of 8 10Westbrook, Town of 9 5Westport, Town of 8 10

Activity 300-Public Information

• Activity 330-Outreach Projectso Under Activity 330, credit is given for advising people of

the flood hazard, the availability of flood insurance, and/or flood protection methods

• Why Locally?o Research has shown that a well-run local information

program is much more effective than a national campaign.

Complying with Activity 330

• Send written information to all properties in the community.• Send a notice directed to all properties in floodplain areas and

those additional areas known to have flooding problems. The notice must clearly explain that the recipient's property is in or near an area subject to flooding.

• Either: – Conduct other outreach projects, such as a "flood awareness

week" or flyers inserted in local newspapers, that will reach some of the population; OR

– Conduct other outreach projects pursuant to a locally prepared public information program strategy.

Flood Brochure Requirements• The Brochure that was to be sent to all the houses in the

floodplain area had 10 possible sections to provide information:1. Flood Hazard2. Flood Preparedness and Safety3. Flood Insurance4. Property Protection5. Natural and Beneficial Functions of the Floodplain6. A Map of Potential Flood Areas7. Flood Warning System Information8. Floodplain Development Permits Information9. Substantial Improvement Requirements10. A Section on the Effects of Dumping in Floodplain Areas.

My Job1. Look for factual and

informational updates that need to be made to the existing Flood Protection Brochure

2. Find alternatives to producing the large cardstock brochure currently used, which is very expensive to mail out.

The Final Product!

• An update and revised version of the previous brochure, that will be printed on thinner paper.

• Stuffed into utility bills• Save $$$