Announced by the National Flood Insurance Program

“Jefferson Parish has received preliminary notification from the Insurance Servicing Office for the National Flood Insurance Program that the Community Rating System Classification (CRS) for unincorporated Jefferson Parish will be upgraded from a Class 7 to a Class 6,” said Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard.

This will mean that the Community Discount on all Flood Insurance policies for the unincorporated area that are located in “A” and “V” Flood Zones will experience a 20% discount rather the current 15% discount on policies renewed after May 1, 2010. In addition, those policies in an “X” Flood Zone will experience a 10% discount rather than the current 5% discount for policies renewed after the same date. Jefferson Parish does not yet have the final figures on how much of an overall savings this will be to the citizens of unincorporated Jefferson Parish. This classification upgrade to a Class 6 is the first one for a community in Louisiana. The last upgrade on the flood rating was in 2003 from a Class 8 to a Class 7.

Each of the municipalities that participate in the Community Rating System Program maintains its own rating and flood policies in those cities and will not be affected by this classification upgrade for the unincorporated part of Jefferson Parish.

CRS Coordinator for Unincorporated Jefferson, Tom Rodrigue, said, “We have been coordinating with the Insurance Servicing Office for the past year to provide the necessary documentation to make this upgrade a reality and provide this benefit to our citizens”.

More information on savings for residents with flood insurance will follow as the May, 2010, date approaches.