FEMA Names Sea Isle ‘Class 3’ Community; Discount on Flood Insurance Rates Possible

SEA ISLE CITY – During the Dec. 26 City Council meeting, Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had declared that Sea Isle City had obtained a “Class 3” rating in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS), according to a release. 
The new rating comes with a 35 percent discount on flood insurance policies for compliant structures.
In October 2013, the city achieved Class 5 status with FEMA’s CRS Program, which translated into a 25 percent discount on flood insurance premiums.
Since then, the city’s administration worked to further improve Sea Isle’s flood prevention ordinance and flood protection standards. 
The new 35 percent flood insurance savings will go into effect in May 2018, with an overall savings of approximately $1.9 million for compliant property owners – including to the city itself. 
The newest discounts will amount to approximately $500,000 in additional savings overall for policyholders. 
“Sea Isle City is the only community in the State of New Jersey to reach Class 3 status, and we are now among the top-ten communities in the country in the eyes of FEMA’s CRS Program,” stated Desiderio.
“Obviously, this is very good news for our home and business owners, and it is something of which we can all be proud. I commend Sea Isle’s Flood Plain Manager Neil Byrne and City Solicitor Paul Baldini, and the community as a whole, for helping us reach this worthwhile goal.”