Thousands of Pinellas homeowners seeing flood insurance savings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Some Pinellas County residents are getting a discount on their flood insurance premiums. The discount is due to the county’s recognition from FEMA for local leaders’ efforts to address flood risk.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell commended Pinellas County on Tuesday for achieving a Class 2 rating from the National Flood Insurance Program. It’s the highest rating any community in Florida has ever received. It also puts Pinellas in the top one percent of Community Rating System communities nationwide.
The Community Rating System is a voluntary incentive program for municipalities through FEMA that encourages communities to go above and beyond its requirements for managing flood plains. Communities are evaluated each year, and can increase and maintain their ratings by addressing the program’s goals.
"We need more counties to be like Pinellas County," Criswell said. "You are a shining example for others."
"One of the things that I really love about this community is that you really understand the importance of resilience, that you understand that the community itself is no stranger to hurricanes, to storm surge and to flooding. You take precautionary measures seriously because you know that being prepared can save lives," she said.
It’s a massive jump, leaders said, from a Class 7 rating in 2013.
READ: 4 injured after shooting near Armature Works in Tampa: Police
"We did our own vulnerability assessment and adopted our own coastal maps," Pinellas County Commission Chair Kathleen Peters said. "Second, we developed a detailed substantial damage management plan, and these two actions earned us enough points to move us to a Class 2," she said.
The county was previously a Class 3, which provides residents in the unincorporated areas of Pinellas with a 35% discount on flood insurance premiums. The Class 2 rating comes with up to a 40% discount on flood insurance premiums that started April 1 for renters and property owners in unincorporated parts of Pinellas.
"Each community has to do this individually [join the program], and so, the county works through the unincorporated pieces of it, and that's what they worked on to achieve this incredible rating today. We will continue to work through the county with municipalities as they try to upgrade their rating as well," Criswell said.
READ: Video shows man firing shots at another man, deputies searching for shooter: HCSO
All but two municipalities in Pinellas County are part of the Community Rating System and have their own floodplain management programs.
"These savings serve as a down payment on a better future for all of us, especially as we continue to face more severe storms and hurricanes that are creating more catastrophic flooding events," Criswell said.
The discount applies to about 20,000 policies in the county, and totals more than $10 million in annual savings.
Criswell said it’s a good idea to make sure you have flood insurance now before hurricane season starts. There’s a 30-day period from the time you purchase coverage to when it goes into effect.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS