Cecil’s New FEMA Rating Means Big Savings for County Residents

Residents in Cecil County are about to see big savings on their flood insurance premiums. By achieving a Class 7 rating through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System, each NFIP policyholder will save an average of $218 on their annual premium.

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Left to Right: Bryan Lightner, LUDS Resource Plans Reviewer; Deputy Emergency Manager Michelle Lloyd, Cecil County Department of Emergency Services; County Executive Dr. Alan McCarthy; Heather Davis-Jenkins, FEMA; and Eric Sennstrom, LUDS Director (photo courtesy of Cecil County)

According to a press release:

Throughout the United States, there are well over 20,000 communities participating in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), with 148 of them located here in the state of Maryland. Each participating community must meet certain minimum criteria in order to gain and maintain its basic NFIP participation status.

Nationally, a relative handful (approximately 5%) of these communities choose to go above and beyond the minimum requirements for the NFIP participation, and these additional efforts and activities result in a community that is both safer and better prepared for future flooding events.

In addition, these communities qualify themselves to participate in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) Program, a program which includes 10 different class rating levels based on the number and types of activities voluntarily initiated by the community. The 10 different levels involve an ascending scale of premium discounts being applied to the NFIP flood insurance policies written in the community.

Cecil County, Maryland is being recognized for achieving the distinction of a Class 7 rating (from a Class 8) on the CRS scale, effective October 1, 2019. Cecil is one of only 15 Maryland communities to qualify for participation in this elite program.

Perhaps more tangible to the residents of Cecil County, the Class 7 rating qualifies each NFIP policyholder here for an average of $218.00 savings on their annual premium. Overall, the County’s CRS accomplishment results in a total annual saving of $102,819 for NFIP policyholders here within the County.

“I would like to formally recognize Cecil County for its leadership, hard work and accomplishments,” said Heather Davis-Jenkins of the FEMA Floodplain Management and Insurance Mitigation Division (Region 3). “On behalf of the Federal Insurance Administrator and the National Flood Insurance Program, congratulations and thank you!”

Read the full press release for more information.