River Action is encouraging cities, counties, and other agencies to help lower the cost of flood insurance for residents of the Quad Cities.
Next week in Moline, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will hold a four-day training so employees of local governments can earn certification as flood plain managers. Michelle O'Neill reports it's led by FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Carol Downey, River Action's Program Manager, says about 30 people have signed up. The training also helps cities and counties earn credits for FEMA's Community Rating System. She says if participating local governments have a certified flood plain manager on staff, the National Flood Insurance Program will give property owners a five percent discount on premiums.
River Action is helping several local municipalities with the time-consuming task of filling out applications and filing documents. But Downey says most communities in the Quad Cities area don't participate in the Community Rating System (CRS). Currently, Davenport, Moline, and Rock Island County are the only ones in the CRS.
As an example, Downey says the average premium for a flood insurance policy in Andalusia is about $1,000. And a property owner could save around $50 if one of the village's employees becomes a Certified Flood Plain Manager.
The average policy in Bettendorf is more than $1,600, and the savings would be around $80.
The National Flood Insurance Program also offers other ways for cities and counties to improve flood plain management and save even more. The free, four-day certification course starts on Tuesday at Western Illinois University in Moline. And River Action has information about registration. Efforts to bring the flood management training to the area were led by the Quad Cities Flood Resiliency Alliance.
