Ocean City Earns Best Class Possible for Flood Mitigation: Mayor

Ocean City, NJ -- Ocean City has achieved the best class possible in the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System (CRS), Mayor Jay Gillian announced on Friday.

"That means all policy holders in Ocean City now receive a 25 percent discount on their flood insurance," Gillian said in his weekly address. "The CRS program rewards towns that take action to make properties less vulnerable to flooding. The new rating means Ocean City’s 17,019 policy holders collectively save more than $2.8 million every year – an average savings of $165 per participating home. Any policy that renews after May 1, 2016 will see the savings."

Ocean City has a Floodplain Management Committee made up of city team members, community members and experts working to suggest new building regulations, flood protection measures, educational efforts and other activities to reduce the potential risk of flood damage, Gillian said. Ocean City joins 13 other New Jersey communities at Class 5, the lowest (best) attained by any municipality in the state. The team is already hard at work on actions that could lead to a Class 4 rating, which would deliver another 5 percent savings. We should all applaud their success and wish them the best in their continued efforts.

As of June 30, Ocean City owners together paid a total of $11,251,325 in insurance premiums protecting more than $4 billion worth of property, according to city officials.

The attached image is an Ocean City Patch file photo