New committee aimed at cutting flood rates in parish

Better flood rating could cut cost by 5 percent a year

A Flood Aware committee has been named that St. Charles Parish officials expect to help lower residents’ flood insurance rates.

Parish President Larry Cochran said the committee will develop a public information plan to better inform residents about local flood risks, as well as promote insurance coverage. The plan will be submitted to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as part of its community rating system.

Under this system, the parish is rated an 8 with 1 being the highest rating out of 10. Cochran said the parish’s current rating translated into a 10 percent reduction in insurance rates, but if the plan is approved this rating would go to a 7 and lower rates by another 5 percent.

The rating is based on points a community earns for outreach programs, which include the Trash Bash, All-Hazard Guide; handouts on flood protection and flood insurance, hurricane and flood protection videos educating residents on flood risk and the parish’s website with information about flood topics.

“Affordable flood insurance rates was a key goal when we came into office a year ago,” Cochran said. “I am proud of my administration for putting together this committee to not only inform our residents, but potentially save them money.”

The committee was organized in early February and shortly later held its first quarterly meeting. The parish Public Information Office and parish coastal zone management team will lead the committee and include representatives with the River Region Chamber of Commerce, industry, real estate, banks and nonprofits.

Of the parish’s 411 square miles, 32 percent or 132 miles of it is covered by water.

NFIP plan requirements include targeting an audience, formulating a message, identifying outreach projects, examining existing public information projects and implementing, monitoring and evaluating the program’s success.

Parish spokesman Tristan Babin said the parish already does outreach work that would qualify for points in the program.

“It will be a matter of bringing these things under one message, documenting what is being done and expanding on where we may fall short,” Babin said.