The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). More than 1,700 communities across the United States participate in it.

In CRS communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community’s efforts that address the three goals of the program:

• Reduce and avoid flood damage to insurable properties
• Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the NFIP
• Foster comprehensive floodplain management

Flood insurance premium discounts in CRS communities range from 5% to 45% and are discounted in increments of 5%. For instance, a Class 10 community is not participating in the CRS and receives no discount. A Class 9 community receives a 5% discount for all policies, a Class 8 community receives a 10% discount, all the way to a Class 1 community, which receives a 45% premium discount.

FEMA has published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to better help policyholders understand how the system works. It addresses such questions as how is a CRS class determined, how is the discount calculated, who receives the discount and why did my discount change at policy renewal?

To view the FAQ document, click here.

How Can You Buy Flood Insurance?

If you’re interested in purchasing flood insurance to keep your home and community safe, call (866) 373-5663 to get connected with a local Wright Flood insurance agent.