Successful program audit helps Maui County consumers maintain low flood insurance rates

News Release from Maui County, May 21, 2021

Maui County consumers will continue to receive a 15 percent discount on flood insurance policies in federally defined special flood hazard areas after the Maui County Planning Department successfully completed a rigorous audit of the county’s compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System.

Now, Maui County consumers with 12,562 active flood insurance policies may continue to hold Class 7 policies that are 15 percent less expensive, with an average cost of $625 per policy. (Without a discount, flood insurance policies would cost consumers an average of $735.) Maui County policyholders save an estimated $1.4 million annually.

The audit demonstrated Maui County’s enforcement of its Flood Program, which ensures the safety of all new development in high-risk flood zones.

Background: 

On June 1, 1981, the County of Maui officially became part of the National Flood Insurance Program to:

• Monitor and enforce developments in the federally defined Special Flood Hazard Areas to comply with federal flood safety standards
  Grant access to federally backed flood insurance to property owners
• In order to participate in the NFIP, Maui County is audited annually to ensure compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain management standards.

Through the 2017 audit process, Maui County was able to show its enforcement of higher standards. This allowed residents to receive extra discounts on flood insurance through the Community Rating System Program. The CRS Program ranks communities on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being the highest achievable class) based on how well they regulate floodplain development. On May 1, 2018, Maui County went from a Class 8 to a Class 7 community, which grants a 15 percent discount on flood insurance policies in special flood hazard areas.

As part of Maui County’s participation in the NFIP/CRS programs, FEMA conducted a rigorous auditing process of the County last year for all flood-related projects and activities conducted from 2017 to 2020 on Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

Staff from the Maui County departments of Planning and Public Works worked with a FEMA representative to ensure that the County is enforcing proper development in high-risk flood zones and maintaining all current relevant documentation. The standards include the proper elevation of new buildings built in flood zones, proper distribution of flood-related maps and documents to the public, and maintaining a detailed record of all approved flood permits during the audited period. The Department of Land and Natural Resource’s Engineering Division also provided information on dam safety, which contributed to the County’s ranking.

For more Flood Program information, contact the County’s Certified Floodplain Manager, Diego A. Sanchez-Gomez, at (808) 270-7139 or via email at diego.sanchez-gomez@mauicounty.gov.

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