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CHAPTER 11. FLOOD <br />11-4 <br />• Flood preparedness. <br />Figure 11-1 shows the nationwide number of CRS communities by class as of May 1, 2018, when there <br />were 1,660 communities receiving flood insurance premium discounts under the CRS program. <br />CRS activities can help to save lives and reduce property damage. Communities participating in the CRS <br />represent a significant portion of the nation’s flood risk. Although CRS communities represent only 5 <br />percent of the over 22,000 communities that participate in the NFIP, more than 69 percen t of all flood <br />insurance policies are written in CRS communities. Communities receiving premium discounts through the <br />CRS range from small to large and represent a broad mixture of flood risks, including both coastal and <br />riverine flood risks. <br /> <br />Figure 11-1. CRS Communities by Class Nationwide as of May 1, 2018 <br />Kittitas County joined the CRS program in 2014, and currently is a Class 6 community, providing flood <br />insurance premium discounts of 20% to residents. The most recent verification report was conducted on <br />June 17, 2014, and documented a total of 2,033 credits earned. <br />11.2. HAZARD PROFILE <br />In Kittitas County, the Yakima River is the principle hydraulic feature. Its basin covers 1,594 square miles <br />of the county. The major Yakima River tributaries include the Cle Elum and Teanaway Rivers (all forks) <br />and many creeks including, but not limited to, Cabin, Cole, Gold, Silver, Manastash, Taneum, Naneum, <br />Wilson, Reecer, Mercer, Big, and Little. Understanding the hydrology of the basin helps planners to <br />estimate the likely frequency and magnitude of flooding and to locate sites where erosion may be a hazard. <br />Hydrology of an area is largely affected by climate, topography, geology and glacial history. <br />Temperatures and precipitation shape the flood hazard potential in Kittitas County. The amount of snowfall <br />and snowmelt runoff rates are critical in determining flood potentials. Most flooding in the Yakima and <br />Teanaway River basins follows periods in which large amounts of wet snow accumulate and is associated <br />with rain-on-snow events during which runoff cannot percolate into the soil because the soil has been <br />saturated or because the ground is frozen. <br />0 <br />50 <br />100 <br />150 <br />200 <br />250 <br />300 <br />350 <br />400 <br />450 <br />500 <br />1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Number of CommunitiesCRS Class <br />CRS Communitites by Class, as of May 1, 2018