Starting Oct. 1, FEMA’s new Risk Rating 2.0 will fundamentally change the way FEMA rates a property’s flood risk and prices insurance premiums. But to what extent will that affect premium changes in your area?
To help answer that question, the American Society of Flood Plain Managers (ASFPM) and The Pew Charitable Trusts recently unveiled newinteractive maps. They show exactly where flood insurance premiums will decrease, increase, or remain the same — and by how much.
Risk Rating 2.0 incorporates more flood risk data to more accurately reflect a property’s individual flood risk. Types of data include:
Frequency and types of flooding (river overflow, storm surge, coastal erosion, heavy rainfall)
Distance to a water source
Property characteristics ( elevation, cost to rebuild).
Visual Tools Make Data More Accessible
ASFPM developed the interactive maps to help local leaders better communicate what’s occurring in their communities, but it’s also easy enough for an average person to grasp.
“There is a fair amount of information available on Risk Rating 2.0. But getting that data out of spreadsheets is challenging. This new tool should help,” said Chad Berginnis, ASFPM’s executive director.
“Floods are this nation’s most frequent and costly natural disasters. And the trends are worsening. It’s important that people know their risk and buy flood insurance to help protect their homes and businesses. It’s equally important that communities take steps to minimize flood risk,” said Berginnis.
ASFPM used datasets fromFEMA’s NFIP policyholder information to create the easy-to-use data visualization tool. The data are broken down across four categories. They range from a decrease in premiums to an increase of $20/month or more. A color-coded scale indicates the percentage of policyholders in each category.
Interactive Maps Show Premium Changes By State, Zip
The first interactive map at no.floods.org/rr2changes breaks down projected premium changes for each state and territory.
For all existing NFIP policies at no.floods.org/rr2all (residential, commercial, multi-family, etc.)
The data compares a snapshot of policyholder premiums from May 31, 2020 with Risk Rating 2.0 premiums, applying statutory increase limits.
The comparison does not attempt to estimate premium increases that might have occurred without the new Risk Rating 2.0 pricing methodology.
This data won’t tell you what will happen to your premiums. But it will give you a rough idea of the percentages of people in your zip code who can expect increases within certain pricing brackets. The brackets include:
Decreases
Increases in the $0 to $10/month range
Increases in the $10 to $20/month range
Increases in the $20+/month range
Zip Codes in Lake Houston Area
The maps for local zip codes showed that the vast majority of all local policies in the Lake Houston area will increase between $0 and $10 per month.
The vast majority of policies in the upper Lake Houston area will see monthly increases of less than $10.This includes homes and businesses.
Clicking on the other tabs at the bottom of the map will show you the percentage of policies that fall into other ranges.
Very few people in these zip codes will see decreases. Almost everyone else will see increases greater than $10 or $20/month.
Looking only at increases for Single-Family-Home policies, about 90% of policies should see a monthly increase in the $0-10 range.
The maps contain far more detail than shown above. When you click on a zip code, areas surrounding the map and within the black pop-up box, display the data in tabular and graphic formats. Make sure you scroll through the data in the black pop-up box. It breaks the highest and lowest categories down into far more brackets. For instance, the $20+ category actually includes brackets up to $90-$100/per month.
Individual policyholders should contact their insurance agent for a personalized quote.
Use this data for comparison purposes to make sure you’re not overpaying. But remember, variations such as your proximity to water, first floor elevation, and the replacement value of your home could skew results from the average in your zip code.
The largest increases in the Houston area will be in Pasadena’s 77507 zip code. More that 50% of the policy holders there will see a $20+/month increase.
First Pricing Update in 40 Years
This is the program’s first pricing update in more than 40 years.
“Under Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA is fixing longstanding inequities in the NFIP’s flood insurance pricing and establishing a system that is better equipped for the reality of frequent flooding caused by climate change,” said David Maurstad, senior executive of the National Flood Insurance Program. “Risk Rating 2.0 is not just a minor improvement, but a transformational leap forward that enables FEMA to set rates that are fairer and ensures rate increases and decreases are both equitable.”
According to FEMA, only 4% of policyholders nationwide are expected to see substantive increases. In a national rate analysis of current policyholders, FEMA has said:
23% will see premium decreases
66% will see, on average, premium increases of $0-$10/month (which is around what the average is now)
7% will see, on average, premium increases of $10-$20/month
4% will see, on average, premium increases of $20 or more per month.
Background on Risk Rating 2.0
Risk Rating 2.0 will deliver rates that are actuarially sound, equitable, easier to understand, and better reflect an individual property’s unique flood risk.
By communicating flood risk more clearly, the new methodology should help policyholders make more informed decisions on the purchase of adequate insurance and on mitigation actions to protect against flooding. FEMA is implementing the program in two phases:
Phase I – New policies beginning Oct. 1, 2021 are subject to the new pricing methodology. Also beginning October 1, existing policyholders are able to take advantage of immediate decreases in their premiums when the policy renews.
Phase II – Renewals of the remaining existing flood insurance policies will be written to the new plan starting April 1, 2022, allowing policyholders an additional six months to prepare for any adjustments.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/26/21 based on a press release from ASFPMprovided by Diane Cooper
1489 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-26-at-3.02.09-PM.png?fit=1292%2C870&ssl=18701292adminadmin2021-09-26 16:10:042021-09-26 21:20:50New Interactive Maps Show Flood Insurance Premium Changes With Risk Rating 2.0
Today, at a meeting of the Harris County Flood Resilience Task Force, Vanessa Toro of the County Judge’s Office and Leah Chambers, Principal of consulting firm Outside Voices presented several slides about flooding and flood-mitigation efforts in Harris County that you might find interesting. Their presentation started with a series of slides that illuminated the history of flooding in Harris County; types of flooding; mitigation challenges, and mitigation efforts currently underway.
Historical Flooding and Mitigation
The first four slides address historical flooding and build on each other.
Selected historical milestones show dates and damage from several major storms in the last 20 years.
The next slide shows the major challenges in each epoch.
The third shows major mitigation efforts over time.
The dotted line shows spending by Harris County to help control flooding.
Different Types of Flooding Throughout County
The presentation then went into examples of the different types of flooding we experience. While river and bayou flooding are important to the Lake Houston Area, in other parts of the county, street flooding is a bigger issue. During high intensity rainfalls, water can’t get to the bayous.
Down in the southern part of the county, coastal flooding from storm surge is the main concern.
Each type of flooding requires different mitigation strategies.
For instance:
Flood professionals often address river- and bayou-flooding with detention ponds and channel widening.
Street flooding may require better maintenance of ditches, bigger storm drains and wider storm sewers.
Coastal flooding may require dikes and better building codes that elevate homes higher.
Key Challenges with Flood Mitigation
The presentation then segued into key challenges we face and how the county is trying to address them.
The first slide in this section discussed incomplete knowledge.
For instance, FEMA’s flood maps measure river, bayou, major channel and coastal flooding, but not street flooding, which is a major problem in the inner city. Hopefully, the next generation of flood maps (See MAAPNext) will help address that.
There’s a feeling that large scale infrastructure projects by themselves will not solve our flooding problems. Various groups within the county are looking at ways to supplement them. The engineer’s office is looking at subdivision drainage. Several other groups are collaborating to explore nature based solutions, flood proofing, and more.
The title of the slide above refers to difficulty of coordinating flood-control efforts across complex jurisdictional boundaries.
Different areas have different priorities, needs and timetables. No one understands that better than those who live near county lines. For instance, upstream counties often use lax regulation and enforcement as a way to entice developers – much to the detriment of those who live downstream.
Flood Resilience Efforts Now Underway
While the 2018 flood bond gets all the publicity, it’s certainly not the only Harris County effort underway to mitigate flooding. The slide below shows the variety of efforts.
They include:
The Community Flood Resilience Task Force, a group designed to give voice to communities in developing the next generation of flood mitigation efforts.
MAAPNext to update flood maps, incorporate the more data sources, and make flood-risk easier to understand.
Resilience Actions Inventory, an ongoing effort to catalog resilience initiatives, projects and programs throughout the county.
Infrastructure Resilience Team – an interdepartmental team planning resilience projects. It includes: Flood Control, Engineering, Community Services, Public Health, Emergency Management, and the Toll Road Authority.
New departments, such as the Office of Sustainability and the Deputy County Administrator for Resilience and Infrastructure.
The ongoing Capital Improvement and Maintenance budgets of HCFCD.
All these efforts may not mesh like the gears in a Swiss watch. At least not today. But it’s good to know that efforts are underway on more than one front.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/25/2021 based on information from the Harris County Judge’s Office
1788 Days since Hurricane Harvey
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/CFRTF-Retreat-Slides-Subset_092521_Page_14.jpg?fit=1500%2C844&ssl=18441500adminadmin2021-09-25 18:20:002021-09-25 18:35:00Update on Harris County Flood Mitigation Efforts
Hurricane Nicholas likely affected the schedule with the twin needs to secure equipment and lower the lake.
Regardless, when I put up a drone today, I found good news. The dredging is now much closer to the east fork than the west.
Dredging has now reached homes in Royal Shores. Looking south toward FM1960and Lake Houston.
Looking east toward the East Fork. Dredging should break through in about another 1000 feet, the width of another six or seven homes.
Assuming the City can maintain a pace of 200 feet per week, that would put crews in the East Fork by the end of October.
Distance dredged in three weeks since last update on August 28th.
Looking west. At present, there appear to be two crews working. Note one still way out near the west fork, widening or deepening the channelnear where they started in mid-July.
This certainly is one of the most beautiful parts of Houston for those who can afford to live with the flood risk.
Proposals for Long-Range Dredging Plan Due Today
A damage map compiled shortly after Harvey showed that 1290 Harris County homes flooded in the East Fork watershed.
https://i0.wp.com/reduceflooding.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20210923-DJI_0475-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=18001200adminadmin2021-09-23 16:39:092021-09-23 19:08:06Dredging Now Closer to East Fork Than West
New Interactive Maps Show Flood Insurance Premium Changes With Risk Rating 2.0
Starting Oct. 1, FEMA’s new Risk Rating 2.0 will fundamentally change the way FEMA rates a property’s flood risk and prices insurance premiums. But to what extent will that affect premium changes in your area?
To help answer that question, the American Society of Flood Plain Managers (ASFPM) and The Pew Charitable Trusts recently unveiled new interactive maps. They show exactly where flood insurance premiums will decrease, increase, or remain the same — and by how much.
Risk Rating 2.0 incorporates more flood risk data to more accurately reflect a property’s individual flood risk. Types of data include:
Visual Tools Make Data More Accessible
ASFPM developed the interactive maps to help local leaders better communicate what’s occurring in their communities, but it’s also easy enough for an average person to grasp.
“There is a fair amount of information available on Risk Rating 2.0. But getting that data out of spreadsheets is challenging. This new tool should help,” said Chad Berginnis, ASFPM’s executive director.
“Floods are this nation’s most frequent and costly natural disasters. And the trends are worsening. It’s important that people know their risk and buy flood insurance to help protect their homes and businesses. It’s equally important that communities take steps to minimize flood risk,” said Berginnis.
ASFPM used datasets from FEMA’s NFIP policyholder information to create the easy-to-use data visualization tool. The data are broken down across four categories. They range from a decrease in premiums to an increase of $20/month or more. A color-coded scale indicates the percentage of policyholders in each category.
Interactive Maps Show Premium Changes By State, Zip
The first interactive map at no.floods.org/rr2changes breaks down projected premium changes for each state and territory.
There are also two interactive maps by zip code:
The data compares a snapshot of policyholder premiums from May 31, 2020 with Risk Rating 2.0 premiums, applying statutory increase limits.
The comparison does not attempt to estimate premium increases that might have occurred without the new Risk Rating 2.0 pricing methodology.
This data won’t tell you what will happen to your premiums. But it will give you a rough idea of the percentages of people in your zip code who can expect increases within certain pricing brackets. The brackets include:
Zip Codes in Lake Houston Area
The maps for local zip codes showed that the vast majority of all local policies in the Lake Houston area will increase between $0 and $10 per month.
Clicking on the other tabs at the bottom of the map will show you the percentage of policies that fall into other ranges.
Very few people in these zip codes will see decreases. Almost everyone else will see increases greater than $10 or $20/month.
The maps contain far more detail than shown above. When you click on a zip code, areas surrounding the map and within the black pop-up box, display the data in tabular and graphic formats. Make sure you scroll through the data in the black pop-up box. It breaks the highest and lowest categories down into far more brackets. For instance, the $20+ category actually includes brackets up to $90-$100/per month.
Individual policyholders should contact their insurance agent for a personalized quote.
Use this data for comparison purposes to make sure you’re not overpaying. But remember, variations such as your proximity to water, first floor elevation, and the replacement value of your home could skew results from the average in your zip code.
First Pricing Update in 40 Years
This is the program’s first pricing update in more than 40 years.
“Under Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA is fixing longstanding inequities in the NFIP’s flood insurance pricing and establishing a system that is better equipped for the reality of frequent flooding caused by climate change,” said David Maurstad, senior executive of the National Flood Insurance Program. “Risk Rating 2.0 is not just a minor improvement, but a transformational leap forward that enables FEMA to set rates that are fairer and ensures rate increases and decreases are both equitable.”
According to FEMA, only 4% of policyholders nationwide are expected to see substantive increases. In a national rate analysis of current policyholders, FEMA has said:
Background on Risk Rating 2.0
Risk Rating 2.0 will deliver rates that are actuarially sound, equitable, easier to understand, and better reflect an individual property’s unique flood risk.
By communicating flood risk more clearly, the new methodology should help policyholders make more informed decisions on the purchase of adequate insurance and on mitigation actions to protect against flooding. FEMA is implementing the program in two phases:
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/26/21 based on a press release from ASFPM provided by Diane Cooper
1489 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Update on Harris County Flood Mitigation Efforts
Today, at a meeting of the Harris County Flood Resilience Task Force, Vanessa Toro of the County Judge’s Office and Leah Chambers, Principal of consulting firm Outside Voices presented several slides about flooding and flood-mitigation efforts in Harris County that you might find interesting. Their presentation started with a series of slides that illuminated the history of flooding in Harris County; types of flooding; mitigation challenges, and mitigation efforts currently underway.
Historical Flooding and Mitigation
The first four slides address historical flooding and build on each other.
Different Types of Flooding Throughout County
The presentation then went into examples of the different types of flooding we experience. While river and bayou flooding are important to the Lake Houston Area, in other parts of the county, street flooding is a bigger issue. During high intensity rainfalls, water can’t get to the bayous.
Down in the southern part of the county, coastal flooding from storm surge is the main concern.
Each type of flooding requires different mitigation strategies.
For instance:
Key Challenges with Flood Mitigation
The presentation then segued into key challenges we face and how the county is trying to address them.
The first slide in this section discussed incomplete knowledge.
For instance, FEMA’s flood maps measure river, bayou, major channel and coastal flooding, but not street flooding, which is a major problem in the inner city. Hopefully, the next generation of flood maps (See MAAPNext) will help address that.
There’s a feeling that large scale infrastructure projects by themselves will not solve our flooding problems. Various groups within the county are looking at ways to supplement them. The engineer’s office is looking at subdivision drainage. Several other groups are collaborating to explore nature based solutions, flood proofing, and more.
The title of the slide above refers to difficulty of coordinating flood-control efforts across complex jurisdictional boundaries.
Different areas have different priorities, needs and timetables. No one understands that better than those who live near county lines. For instance, upstream counties often use lax regulation and enforcement as a way to entice developers – much to the detriment of those who live downstream.
Flood Resilience Efforts Now Underway
While the 2018 flood bond gets all the publicity, it’s certainly not the only Harris County effort underway to mitigate flooding. The slide below shows the variety of efforts.
They include:
All these efforts may not mesh like the gears in a Swiss watch. At least not today. But it’s good to know that efforts are underway on more than one front.
For a high-resolution PDF of the PowerPoint, click here.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9/25/2021 based on information from the Harris County Judge’s Office
1788 Days since Hurricane Harvey
Dredging Now Closer to East Fork Than West
On July 9, the City of Houston announced a plan to dredge its way from the West Fork San Jacinto to the East Fork through a narrow channel south of Royal Shores in Kingwood. Since then, I’ve been tracking the progress. Between July 11 and August 28, the dredging moved about 1,200 feet east, or about 200 feet per week. But in the last three and a half weeks, the pace has slowed to less than 150 feet per week.
Dredging Pace Slowed During Nicholas
Hurricane Nicholas likely affected the schedule with the twin needs to secure equipment and lower the lake.
Regardless, when I put up a drone today, I found good news. The dredging is now much closer to the east fork than the west.
Assuming the City can maintain a pace of 200 feet per week, that would put crews in the East Fork by the end of October.
Proposals for Long-Range Dredging Plan Due Today
A damage map compiled shortly after Harvey showed that 1290 Harris County homes flooded in the East Fork watershed.
Since then, a significant mouth bar has built up on the East Fork, potentially putting even more homes at risk.
The submission deadline for vendors to submit their qualifications for the development of a long-range dredging plan is today. Stay tuned for more news as it becomes available.
Posted by Bob Rehak on 9.23.21
1486 Days since Hurricane Harvey