New flood insurance rating for county

Residents in Ramona and other unincorporated areas of San Diego County will pay less for flood insurance with a new Class 7 rating the County has earned from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the county reports.

The new rating means an automatic rate reduction of 5 percent, said Michael Drake with the county Department of Public Works (DPW). This is the third such rate decrease for the county.

To receive the Class 7 rating, the county went beyond minimum floodplain management requirements and developed extra measures to provide protection from flooding as outlined in the Community Rating System (CRS) standards, reported Drake. Categories include public information, mapping and regulation, flood damage reduction and flood preparedness with credit points awarded for each of 18 separate activities.

The county also received credit points for its restrictions on development in flood-prone areas, implementing the reverse 911 system and the StormReady certification that was presented by the National Weather Service to county supervisors in December. That award also recognized the County for being better prepared for rapidly changing weather patterns and severe weather.

“Flooding can and does occur in San Diego County,” Chairwoman Pam Slater-Price said. “During this past winter, we experienced heavy rainstorms forcing the closure of many roads, severe beach erosion, and property damage. Insurance rates reduction due to the aggressive work of the Public Works Department will be a great help to many.”

For more information about the community rating system or the StormReady program, contact Cid Tesoro in DPW’s Watershed Protection Program at 858-694-3672.