Federal Flood Insurance Program

The district helps to reduce flood insurance premiums for every citizen in the county

The Santa Clara Valley Water District (District) has achieved a base rating for the entire county under the Community Rating System (CRS) for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Under the CRS program, communities that perform specified activities to prevent flood losses, above and beyond the requirements of the NFIP regulations, can qualify for discounted flood insurance rates under the NFIP for all of its citizens.

All cities and towns in Santa Clara County participate in NFIP, which provides federally-backed flood insurance to communities that enact and enforce floodplain regulations. However, the CRS program rewards communities that participate in flood management and education above and beyond the minimum requirements stipulated by the NFIP. The reward for instituting proactive flood management and educational activities is an across-the-board reduction in insurance premiums for all citizens of a participating community.

The District’s flood management and flood awareness programs have qualified individual residents for a minimum 5% discount on their annual flood insurance premiums. That’s a yearly savings of about $30 for a typical home. However, this discount only applies to residents of cities and towns that formally participate in the CRS program.

An innovative approach…
Usually, FEMA works directly with individual cities and towns who want to participate in the CRS program. However, when the District realized that its activities, which it manages countywide, would meet many of the CRS standards for higher-than-required proactive flood management, we initiated an innovative approach to the CRS. In an unusual partnership, sanctioned by the CRS, the District prepared an application for CRS points, following the same guidelines that apply to individual cities and towns. The points obtained through the District’s documented activities will apply countywide, to any city or town that participates in CRS.

Flood insurance premium reductions are available to communities based on their CRS classification, which in turn is based on the number and type of community-sponsored activities that promote flood awareness, preparedness, and safety. The District, who's mission includes providing flood management for Santa Clara County, already performs a large number of CRS creditable activities. The District’s vigilant creek maintenance program and our award-winning "Hey Noah!" flood awareness program are just two examples of activities that receive CRS credit. The District has been credited a countywide, verified base of 563 points. With over 500 points already accumulated, each city and town in the County now qualifies to receive a minimum class 9 rating, simply by applying to the CRS program.

A class 9 rating translates to a savings of 5% on yearly flood insurance premiums. Each additional 500 points that a community can document will save its constituents an additional 5% on yearly flood insurance premiums, for policies within the special flood hazard area. That can add up to tens of thousands of dollars saved every year in each community, depending on how many property owners purchase flood insurance. In fact, if each community participates only to the class 9 level, which is already supported by District activities, there would be a net savings to citizens of this county of nearly half a million dollars yearly! Click here for more information on how individual communities qualify for premium reductions under CRS

The District is excited to be a partner in this program. It is now simple for all cities and towns in Santa Clara County to participate in the CRS program. The District has made participation easy, by pre-qualifying all cities and towns in the county with credits for the Districts activities, which will provide a minimum 5% discount on flood insurance premiums. By becoming an active participant in the CRS program, each city or town can net even more savings for the citizens of its community.

In the future...
Points for each participating community are re-verified each year by CRS representatives. For as long as the District is able to continue to provide its current outstanding level of flood protection and education services, we will continue to verify a minimum of 500 points for the citizens of Santa Clara County each year.