County: FEMA to maintain rating, discounts
Lee County reported it was notified on Nov. 21 that FEMA will maintain unincorporated Lee’s rating and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholder discounts following months of work by the county to provide all requested and required documentation.
FEMA determined unincorporated Lee County residents — which includes Captiva — with policies issued under the NFIP will maintain the discount rate of 25%.
The county reported that for more than 40 years, it has enjoyed an exemplary working relationship with FEMA. Since joining the Community Rating System (CRS) program in 1991, the county has spent millions of dollars on studies, consultants and projects to mitigate the risks of flood damage and obtain a favorable rating for residents and taxpayers. This was evidenced most recently in February of 2023 by FEMA’s determination that Lee would retain its Class 5 CRS rating six months after Hurricane Ian.
In March, FEMA initially announced plans to retrograde the discount, prompting months of work by Lee County to submit documentation requested by FEMA. The county worked in concert with FEMA to submit a corrective action plan prior to the Nov. 18 deadline. FEMA found that the plan exceeded expectations and resulted in the retention of the discount.
Concurrently, the county used best practices for Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which illustrated its diligence to adhere to FEMA’s NFIP and CRS requirements and guidelines.
For more information, visit www.leegov.com/femacrs.
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners remained committed throughout the process to retaining the CRS rating of 5 to maintain the discount available to unincorporated Lee residents with NFIP policies.