2019_KittitasCountyHMP_Volume 1_For Adoption

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CHAPTER 11. FLOOD 11-3 including the 1-percent annual chance flood and the 0.2-percent annual chance flood (the 500-year flood). Base flood elevations and the boundaries of the 100- and 500-year floodplains are shown on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), which are the principle tool for identifying the extent and location of the flood hazard. FIRMs are the most detailed and consistent data source available, and for many communities they represent the minimum area of oversight under their floodplain management program. Participants in the NFIP must, at a minimum, regulate development in floodplain areas in accordance with NFIP criteria. Before issuing a permit to build in a floodplain, participatin g jurisdictions must ensure that three criteria are met: • New buildings and those undergoing substantial improvements must, at a minimum, be elevated to protect against damage by the 100-year flood. • New floodplain development must not aggravate existing flood problems or increase damage to other properties. • New floodplain development must exercise a reasonable and prudent effort to reduce its adverse impacts on threatened salmonid species. Kittitas County entered the NFIP on May 5, 1981. Structures permitted or built in the county before then are called “pre-FIRM” structures, and structures built afterwards are called “post-FIRM.” The insurance rate is different for the two types of structures. The current Kittitas County FIRMs became effective on October 15, 1981. Preliminary FIRMs for Kittitas County were generated in early 2018, and while these were not effective at the time of this plan update, these preliminary FIRMs were used to map the extent and location of flood hazards in this risk assessment. The pr eliminary FIRMs represent a significant improvement in flood mapping from the 1981 effective FIRMs. All incorporated cities in Kittitas County also participate in the NFIP. The county and cities are currently in good standing with the provisions of the NFIP. Compliance is monitored by FEMA regional staff and by the Department of Ecology under a contract with FEMA. Maintaining compliance under the NFIP is an important component of flood risk reduction. All planning partners that participate in the NFIP have identified initiatives to maintain their compliance and good standing. The Community Rating System The CRS is a voluntary program within the NFIP that encourages floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. Flood insurance premiums are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from community actions meeting the following three goals of the CRS: • Reduce flood losses • Facilitate accurate insurance rating • Promote awareness of flood insurance For participating communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted in increments of 5 percent. For example, a Class 1 community would receive a 45 percent premium discount, and a Class 9 community would receive a 5 percent discount. (Class 10 communities are those that do not participate in the CRS; they receive no discount.) The CRS classes for local communities are based on 18 creditable activities in the following categories: • Public information • Mapping and regulations • Flood damage reduction