Fort Collins Utilities achieved a Class 2 rating under the Community Rating System (CRS) program administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Utilities’ commitment to this voluntary program places Fort Collins as one of only five communities in the nation to receive a Class 2 rating or higher, as well as the only community recognized in FEMA Region VIII.

The CRS incentive program encourages floodplain management efforts that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The Class 2 designation allows residents and businesses to receive up to a 40 percent discount on flood insurance premiums for properties located in a FEMA-mapped floodplain. Details are available at https://www.fcgov.com/flood-insurance.

Fort Collins residents receive one of the lowest flood insurance rates in the country, and the entire community benefits from reduced impacts during flood events, such as the September 2013 flood on the Poudre River.

Implemented in 1990, approximately 1,350 communities participate in the CRS nationwide.    The CRS recognizes:

• public outreach
• floodplain mapping
• higher regulatory standards
• open space preservation
• drainage system maintenance
• watershed master planning
• hazard mitigation planning
• flood warning and response