Blog: City Blog

Managing Floodplains: City's Efforts Protect Property, Lower Owners' Flood Insurance Premiums

The City of Knoxville continues to help mitigate flood risk and keep flood insurance prices low for Knoxville property owners.

The most recently updated version of the annual review of the local Hazard Mitigation Plan can be viewed HERE.

The City has upheld its Class 6 ranking through the National Flood Insurance Program, and that equates to a 20 percent discount in flood insurance rates for Knoxville private property owners.

The maintenance of flood protections and lower insurance premiums in Knoxville are a direct result of effective and methodical City Engineering plans to identify flooding risks and reduce and remove these risks.

The local Hazard Mitigation Plan reflects transparency and delivers two main benefits, according to Chris Howley, the City’s Engineering Planning Chief who oversees stormwater and flood-control operations.

“The plan helps ensure that the city is well-equipped to compete for competitive grant funding, and it also educates community members on specific flooding risks," Howley said.

The implementation of this plan also focuses on buffer requirements that ensure new construction is only done away from flood zones and above flood levels.

The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management. The City of Knoxville has participated in the CRS since 1985 and is one of about 1,500 entities in the country that participate. Knoxville's Class 6 ranking is in the top 10 percent nationally.

Among the criteria used in making the rankings:

- Floodplain management planning, including adoption of and updates to the Knox County, Knoxville, and Town of Farragut Multi-Jurisdiction Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

- Higher regulatory standards for new construction and enforcement of relevant building codes

- Preservation of open spaces in high-risk floodplain areas

- Flood data maintenance and mapping services that are publicly available

The plan undergoes continuous review and updates. Its provisions are regularly implemented and enforced to ensure that new and existing property are safeguarded against flooding hazards.

- Written by Baker Center Fellow Betsy Germann, a University of Tennessee student who is interning this semester in the City Communications Department

Posted by evreeland On 14 October, 2022 at 2:19 PM