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Flood Insurance and the Community Rating System

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Because Sutter County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), property owners and renters in Sutter County can buy National Flood Insurance no matter where the insured parcel may be located within the County. The NFIP was created in 1968 to make federally backed flood insurance available to property owners who live in participating communities. Flood insurance in 1968 was virtually unavailable from the private insurance industry. The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended, requires federally-regulated lending institutions to make sure that mortgage loans secured by buildings in high-flood-risk areas are protected by flood insurance. This means that all structures a) located within a Special Flood Hazard Area, and b) having a federally-backed loan must have flood insurance.

 

County staff can determine the relationship of a particular property to the floodplain, including:
  • Whether the property is located within a Special Flood Hazard Area;
  • Which Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) a property falls under;
  • What Flood Zone a property is in (A, AE, AH, AO, A99);
  • The Base Flood Elevation for property and the anticipated depth of flooding, if available; and
  • Whether the property is located within a Floodway.
The County also keeps elevation certificates on file for many structures in the floodplain. Click on the separate link entitled “Elevation Certificates” or contact Sutter County - Water Resources at (530) 822-7400 for further information.
Sutter County also participates in the Community Rating System (CRS). CRS is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. As a result of Sutter County's floodplain management activities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions meeting the three goals of the CRS:
  1. Reduce flood losses;
  2. Facilitate accurate insurance rating; and
  3. Promote the awareness of flood insurance.

As of August 1, 2023, Sutter County has a Class 6 rating, resulting in a 20% discount on flood insurance for many properties located within a Special Flood Hazard Area. More information on the CRS program can be found by clicking on the following link:

 All areas are susceptible to flooding, although to varying degrees. If you live in a low-to-moderate flood risk area, it is advisable to have flood insurance. Between 20% and 25% of the NFIP's claims come from outside high-flood-risk areas. Residential and commercial property owners located in low-to-moderate risk areas should ask their agents if they are eligible for the Preferred Risk Policy, which provides inexpensive flood insurance protection.