The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides federally backed flood insurance that encourages communities to enact and enforce floodplain regulations. Since its inception in 1968, the program has been very successful in helping flood victims get back on their feet. There are over 4 million policies in force. Since 1978, over 650,000 losses totaling more than $8 billion have been paid.

To be covered by a flood insurance policy, a property must be in a community that participates in the NFIP. To qualify for the program, a community adopts and enforces a floodplain management ordinance to regulate development in flood hazard areas. The basic objective of the ordinance is to ensure that such development will not aggravate existing flooding conditions and that new buildings will be protected from flood damage. Today, over 19,000 communities, including Fort Wayne, participate in the NFIP.

The NFIP, through partnerships with communities, the insurance industry, and the lending industry, helps reduce flood damage by nearly $800 million a year. Further, buildings constructed in compliance with NFIP building standards suffer 77 percent less damage annually than those not built in compliance. And, every $3 paid in flood insurance claims saves $1 in disaster assistance payments.

The NFIP is self-supporting for the average historical loss year, which means that operating expenses and flood insurance claims are not paid for by the taxpayer, but through premiums collected for flood insurance policies.

The Community Rating System

Under the Community Rating System (CRS), there is an incentive for communities to do more than just regulate construction of new buildings to minimum national standards. Under the CRS, flood insurance premiums are adjusted to reflect community activities that reduce flood damage to existing structures, protect new construction, help real estate and insurance agents obtain flood data, and help citizens obtain flood insurance.

The objective of the 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. The goal of the CRS is to encourage, by the use of flood insurance premium adjustments, community and state activities beyond those required by the NFIP to:

• Reduce flood losses

• Protect public health and safety

• Reduce damage to buildings and contents

• Prevent increases in flood damage from new construction

• Reduce the risk of erosion damage

• Protect natural and beneficial floodplain functions

• Facilitate accurate insurance rating

• Promote the awareness of flood insurance

Fort Wayne has participated in this voluntary program since 1991 and saves its citizens 10% a year on their flood insurance premiums. More importantly, this program is also dedicated to the education of everyone who lives in the "Three Rivers" region on flood safety and flood awareness.

For more information on the Community Rating System, or for specific information regarding flood awareness and flood preparedness, please contact the Flood Control Department at (260) 427-1250.

For more information on the NFIP and flood related topics, try the following websites:

Indiana Department of Natural Resources
www.state.in.us/dnr/index.html

Download FEMA Elevation Certificate
www.fema.gov/pdf/nfip/elvcert/pdf

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District
www.lre.usace.army.mil