Town gets CRS Class 3 rating, lowering flood insurance rates

The Town of Cutler Bay in April achieved a Community Rating System (CRS) Class 3 rating from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for property owners in flood-prone areas, provides affordable flood insurance and promoting floodplain management to reduce flooding impact.

Because the town successfully implemented floodplain management work, residents located in Special Flood Hazard Areas will see a significant 35 percent reduction in their flood insurance premiums, according to Rod Gibson, communications manager for the Town of Cutler Bay. "The town's successful improvement to CRS Class 3 will save policyholders an average of $338 per flood insurance policy, and a total savings for the Town of $2, 378, 138," Gibson said.

Mayor Tim Meerbott was delighted by the town's accomplishment. "We are thrilled to have achieved a CRS Class 3 rating," Mayor Meerbott said. "This is a testament to the hard work of the town council, the Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee, the town staff, and the town's professional consultants. Our community is now more resilient in terms of floodplain mitigation and management, and our residents and local businesses will benefit from saving 35 percent on their flood insurance premiums."

According to Conn H. Cole, State of Florida's NIFP coordinator and Floodplain manager, Cutler Bay's Class 3 rating in the CRS program shows the strength of their flood plain management program and the fact that they're doing things right. This recognition places Cutler Bay as one of only 11 communities in the nation to reach this classification. FEMA Region 4 chief Jason Hunter also congratulated the town for achieving a Class 3 rating in the community rating system. "They've joined one of four communities in the state of Florida with a Class 3 rating," Hunter said.

Cutler Bay started as a Class 6 community in 2011 and worked its way up to a Class 3 in just 12 years. For information about the CRS, visit FEMA's website at www.fema.gov/nationalflood-insurance-program-community-ratingsystem. The town also offers its residents a complimentary review of their flood insurance policy to ensure they receive the 35 percent savings. For inquiries regarding the program or guidance on how to get the discount, contact the Public Works Department at 305-234-4262.