Update on CRS

What’s the CRS again?

Community Rating System (CRS) is to reward communities that are doing more than meeting the minimum NFIP requirements to help their citizens prevent or reduce flood losses. The CRS also provides an incentive for communities to initiate new flood protection activities.

Update from Whitney McNamara, City of Virginia Beach Planning and Community Development:

City Council was briefed on CRS earlier this year – in August. At that time, no formal decisions were made, it was more to make them aware that it is a program the City is exploring. At this time, we are still awaiting final approval of the Hazard Mitigation Plan from FEMA and adoption by City Council. Once it is officially adopted, the plan can be sent to FEMA’s CRS consultant to review for CRS Compliance (FEMA is currently reviewing and approving it as a Hazard Mitigation Plan, not a Floodplain Management Plan). A Floodplain Management Plan is a minimum requirement for participation due to the number of repetitively flooded structures in Virginia Beach. If it is approved as a Floodplain Management Plan, the CRS program will be taken back to Council for a final decision to join or not. If and when we get the official go ahead, it is an 18-24 month process before Virginia Beach will officially be in the program, so the earliest residents would begin to receive the discounts would most likely be in 2019.