STONE HARBOR – Stone Harbor Council April 4 introduced a new flood prevention ordinance, which borough officials hope will earn them enough Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS) points to regain the level 5 rating it lost this year.
The CRS rating system is tied to community-wide discounts available to property owners on National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) premiums.
The recent drop in CRS level from a 5 to a 7 in Stone Harbor has added 10% to each property owner’s flood insurance premiums. The council has felt the urgency to regain, or even surpass, its previous score.
CRS points are gained when a community takes FEMA-approved flood prevention actions that surpass the minimum standards necessary for participation in the NFIP.
CRS Coordinator Ray Poudrier told the council that the strategy for regaining CRS points has been altered from what had been discussed at earlier meetings.
Now, the borough will seek its three-cycle review this year rather than in 2024, possibly by July. This means a postponement of a modification visit to early 2024.
According to Poudrier, the proposed changes to the flood prevention ordinance have more than doubled its size. These updates to the ordinance are largely coming from a task force established to recommend amendments that will earn CRS points.
Cape May – The number one reason I didn’t vote for Donald Trump was January 6th and I found it incredibly sad that so many Americans turned their back on what happened that day when voting. I respect that the…
