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April 15, 2011
Residents to pay less for insurance
GULFPORT — Homeowners in Gulfport will soon be eligible for a 20-percent discount on their flood insurance because of steps the city has taken to decrease its flood risk.
The City of Gulfport currently has a Class 8 rating under the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System, which provides for a 10-percent discount on insurance for homeowners in the flood zone.
In the CRS, the lower the city’s rating, the better the discount for homeowners.
The Gulfport Department of Urban Development has worked diligently the past two years to minimize the city’s risk of flood, and soon the rating will be moved to a Class 6, which will provide for a total flood insurance discount of 20 percent.
“This is a really big step for our department and our city,” said Gary Anderson, the city’s floodplain manager, who led an ambitious, 4-year effort to help correct hundreds of non-compliant properties that violated flood elevation requirements.
Gulfport corrected every non-compliant property on the list, increased protection for new development and accelerated awareness about the dangers of flood and the importance of being prepared, resulting in a ratings increase, and soon a 20-percent drop in the cost of insurance.
“This shows how dedicated the City of Gulfport is to keeping its people and their property safe,” Mayor George Schloegel said Friday. “While the price reduction is one benefit of the new rating, it is more important that we are working to reduce property damage and save lives.”
Flooding is the single most common cause of disaster in the U.S., according to FEMA. The Community Rating System was implemented in 1990 as a way to recognize and encourage floodplain management that exceeds the minimum NFIP standards. FEMA is expected to officially announce Gulfport’s new Class 6 rating later this year.
New road and park open next week
Harrison County Supervisor William Martin and the City of Gulfport will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Sunnymeade extension
and the new splashpad at Goldin Park.
The ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, April 21, at 5 p.m. at the Sunnymeade entrance to Golding Park.
Easter egg hunt tomorrow
The Department of Leisure Services will host an Easter egg hunt tomorrow at West Side Park beginning at noon. Come early for prizes and free pictures with the Easter Bunny.
Office of Public Information - rlafontaine@gulfport-ms.gov - Phone: 228-868-5782
P.O. Box 1780 Gulfport, MS 39502-1780 - FAX: 868-5800
