National Acclaim King County now has the highest rating of any county in the nation for floodplain protection from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Community Rating System. County Executive Ron Sims received the Community Rating System award from FEMA officials at a news conference today. Ron Sims receives Community Rating System award from FEMA Region 10 Deputy Director Tammy Dogherty. We've taken a comprehensive approach that includes levees to protect homes and businesses in floodplains, strict regulations and mapping that prevents inappropriate new development and a system to warn people when the rivers rise to flood levels. Ron Sims , Paul Schell, and Emergency Operations Center manager Eric Haldoman at news conference.
Flood insurance protects individuals and taxpayers from the expense of flood disaster recovery.
Thanks to the efforts of county leaders and managers, property owners should experience reduced flood damage in the future. More than 120 communities across the country, including King County and the City of Seattle, have joined Project Impact to reduce the effects of natural disasters. FEMA's Community Rating System began in 1990 and recognizes communities that have reduced the risk of flood hazards through comprehensive floodplain management efforts. It singles out King County's Flood Hazard Reduction Plan, which includes policies for managing floodplains and flooding as well as identifying capital projects. King County's Floodplain Management Program is administered in the Departments of Natural Resources and Development and Environmental Services.