2017 Update
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) defines Hazard Mitigation as any action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from natural hazards.
Sacramento County partnered with the Cities of Sacramento, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom, Galt, Isleton, Rancho Cordova and several special districts to update their countywide 2017 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). Flood, drought, earthquake, and severe weather are just a few of the hazards to Sacramento communities. While natural hazards such as these cannot be prevented, a Hazard Mitigation Plan forms the foundation for a community's long-term strategy to reduce disaster losses by breaking the repeated cycle of disaster damage and reconstruction. Communities with a FEMA-approved LHMP are eligible for FEMA pre- and post-disaster grant funding and for lower costs of flood insurance to residents through the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).
Progress Reports
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has been available in Sacramento County since 1979, allowing access to flood insurance for property owners, tenants, and businesses. In 1992, the County joined the NFIP's Community Rating System (CRS) (Resolution 92-0250). The CRS is a voluntary incentive-based program that recognizes and encourages communities to exceed the FEMA minimum floodplain management standards and rewards communities with discounted flood insurance premiums.
The CRS uses a ranking system from ten to one. Nationally, there are 1444 communities participating in CRS, the 2017 FEMA Fact Sheet describes the significance of Sacramento County's participation (Attachment 1). Since 1992, Sacramento County has steadily improved its rating and is now a Class 2 which provides property owners, tenants, and businesses up to a 40% discount on flood insurance premiums.
In order to maintain this Class 2 rating, Sacramento County is required to provide annual reporting on:
CRS June 2017 Fact Sheet
