Why has FEMA created the CRS Community Self Assessment?
The Community Rating System (CRS) provides credits for a variety of floodplain management and public information activities that go beyond the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program. The CRS is interested in communities selecting activities that best reduce current and future flood damage, and the CRS Community Self Assessment is a tool designed to assist communities in developing programs and identifying CRS activities that are most appropriate for their particular flood risks. For example, a fast growing community might most effectively focus its efforts on mapping and regulatory activities that would help it manage the development pressure in its floodplain instead of working only on drainage maintenance procedures.
How can it help my community?
We’ve developed the CRS Community Self Assessment to help a community summarize its flooding problem(s) and the natural resources and functions of its floodplain and/or coastal area. This information will help a community identify appropriate CRS activities to pursue. This self-assessment process is not intended to replace the in-depth assessment that a community should undertake as part of its floodplain management or hazard mitigation planning.
The CRS Community Self Assessment will help provide communities with an overview of their current and some potential future flood risks, and help identify areas in which they may wish to focus their efforts.
Conducting a self-assessment does not earn CRS credit points, but it can meet the assessment requirements for Activity 330 PPI (Program for Public Information) and Activity 610 (Flood Warning Program). It can also be very helpful when getting ready to conduct other activities, such as Activities 320 (Map Information Service) and 510 (Floodplain Management Planning).
Before you Begin →