Charleston County has earned a bigger discount on federal flood insurance.
The county is now a Class 3 community in the Community Rating System, part of the National Flood Insurance Program, Charleston County announced Wednesday. The rating brings a 35% discount, which the county called the highest coastal county flood insurance discount nationwide.
The discount is 35% for policies in special flood hazard areas, the zones FEMA considers at high risk, and 10% outside them, according to a table in the county’s announcement. It takes effect Oct. 1 but won’t be applied automatically until a policy renews, so the county urged policyholders to contact their insurance agents.
The rating program rewards communities that go beyond the flood insurance program’s minimum requirements. The county said its work included public outreach on hazards, flood insurance promotion, map information services, open space preservation, higher regulatory standards, stormwater management, and flood and dam warning and response. Of 1,517 communities in the program nationwide, the county said, Charleston County places in the top 1%.
Cities and towns in the county carry their own ratings. As of Oct. 1, Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, James Island and Ravenel are Class 6, with a 20% discount in high-risk areas. Folly Beach is Class 4, at 30%, and Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island are Class 5, at 25%. North Charleston, Awendaw, Hollywood, McClellanville, Meggett and Rockville are Class 7, at 15%, according to the county.
The county’s new flood maps, produced with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and FEMA, take effect Jan. 29, 2021, the county announced in August. The new maps will change whether some residents must carry flood insurance and what it costs, the county said, and will affect elevation requirements for new homes and businesses.
