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Flood insurance workshop planned for Atlantic County coastal communities

  • Downbeach

A webinar on flood insurance and FEMA home elevation grants will be held 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 18 on Zoom.

Property owners who are interested in learning how to reduce their flood insurance costs or pursue partial funding to elevate their home are encouraged to attend.

The purpose of this webinar is to educate coastal Atlantic County residents on the benefits of flood insurance and ways to reduce flood insurance premiums. This program is one of the many actions taking by the coastal communities to keep residents informed and to maintain and improve their standing in the Community Rating System, a program that allow provides for flood insurance discounts for local property owners.

Brigantine, Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, Longport, Pleasantville and Somers Point are hosting the event. All seven communities participate in the Community Rating System, which provides property owners with discounts on their flood insurance premiums based on points earned. The webinar is part of the program for public participation.

The webinar will be presented by Risk Reduction, a national firm that provide guidance on flood insurance cost reduction measures, and Rutala Associates, a coastal planning firm that assists the communities in CRS compliance and to secure FEMA home elevation reimbursement grants.

The webinar will begin with an overview of the National Flood Insurance Program changes, which includes the new laws and regulations that may affect policies, mitigation steps and homeowner savings methods.

Information will be presented regarding FEMA reimbursement grants for home elevation. Grants from FEMA that are available to homeowners who have flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program on a competitive basis, and the application process will be discussed. This program funds 75% of the FEMA eligible cost of a home elevation upon completion of the project.

The webinar provides resources to assist communities in their efforts to reduce the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings that are insured under the National Flood Insurance Program.

Over 23,000 property owners in coastal Atlantic County have flood insurance policies through the National Flood Insurance Program. These policies insure more than $4.3 billion worth of property and pay more than $18 million in premiums annually.

The National Flood Insurance Program partners with more than 60 private insurance companies to sell and service flood insurance policies.

To sign up for the Flood Insurance and FEMA Grant Outreach Webinar go to  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cK97zfPSR0SkYFNH-HE0ig or send an  email to  [email protected].