Cutler Bay Achieves CRS Class 3 Community, Saving Residents 35% on Flood Insurance

Cutler Bay Achieves CRS Class 3 Community, Saving Residents 35% on Flood Insurance

(Pictured from left to right: : Julian Perez, Region 4 Director, FFMA Board of Directors; Conn H. Cole, State of Florida NFIP Coordinator/State Floodplain Manager; Jason O. Hunter, DHS/FEMA Region 4 Chief; Tim Meerbott, Mayor, Town of Cutler Bay, Rafael Casals, Town Manager, Town of Cutler Bay; Yenier Vega, Stormwater Utility Manager, Town of Cutler Bay; David Stroud, Assistant Vice President Hazard Mitigation Lead, WSP; Alfredo Quintero, Director of Public Works, Town of Cutler Bay)

 

April 25, 2023

Cutler Bay, Florida - The Town of Cutler Bay is proud to announce its recent achievement of a Community Rating System (CRS) Class 3 rating from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The NFIP program for property owners in flood-prone areas provides affordable flood insurance and promotes floodplain management to reduce flooding impact. As a result of the Town's successful implementation of floodplain management activities, residents located in Special Flood Hazard Areas will see a significant 35% reduction in their flood insurance premiums.

Effective April 1, 2023, the Town of Cutler Bay will become again the first municipality in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties to reach Class 3 status, having previously been rated at a CRS Class 4. 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.

The CRS is a voluntary program designed to encourage communities participating in the NFIP to exceed the minimum federal floodplain management requirements and develop additional measures to safeguard private property from potential flooding. The CRS's objectives are to reduce flood damages to insurable property, support the insurance aspects of the NFIP, and promote a comprehensive approach to floodplain management.

Mayor Tim Meerbott expressed his delight at the Town's accomplishment, saying, "We are thrilled to have achieved a CRS Class 3 rating. 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% 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 eleven 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, stating "They've joined one of four communities in the state of Florida with a class 3 rating." Hunter noted that 1,754 communities nationwide participate in the program, with Florida accounting for about 35 percent of those communities. Cutler Bay started as a class 6 community in 2011 and worked its way up to a class 3 in just 12 years, a remarkable achievement.

The Town's floodplain management activities that contributed to its CRS Class 3 rating include the adoption of the Watershed Master Plan, regular inspections and cleanings of the Town's drainage system, preserving Special Flood Hazard Areas as open space, and conducting general outreach and educational projects.

The CRS rating for the community will be automatically renewed annually, provided there are no NFIP non-compliance actions, so a notification letter will not be sent every year. This annual renewal will take place as long as the community continues to implement the CRS activities it certifies in its annual recertification documentation. To keep the community informed, FEMA will periodically send the NFIP/CRS Update newsletter and other notices to the Town's CRS Coordinator.

For additional information about the CRS, visit FEMA's website at https://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program-community-rating-system. The Town also offers its residents a complimentary review of their flood insurance policy to ensure they receive the 35% savings. For any inquiries regarding the program or guidance on how to avail of the discount, please contact the Public Works Department at (305) 234-4262.

###

Media Resources:

Media Contact:

Rod Gibson | rgibson@cutlerbay-fl.gov | Office: 305-234-4262

  • Printer-friendly version