TO: Board of County Commissioners
THROUGH: John A. Titkanich, Jr., County Administrator
Nancy A. Bunt, Assistant County Administrator
Addie Javed, P.E., Public Works Director
Matthew Soyka, P.E., Land Development Manager
FROM: Kari Cundiff, CFM, CRS Coordinator
Denise Boehning, ANFI, CFM - Coastal Waterways Design & Engineering, LLC
DATE: September 4, 2025
SUBJECT: Adoption of the Repetitive Loss Area Analysis (RLAA) to fulfill the Community Rating (CRS) Program requirements
__________________________________________________________________
BACKGROUND
On July 3, 1978, Indian River County was accepted for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In October 1992, the County also joined the Community Rating System (CRS) Program, which rewards communities that implement floodplain management activities exceeding the NFIP’s minimum requirements.
Under the CRS program, communities earn points for adopting and enforcing higher standards, which translate into discounts on residents’ flood insurance premiums. Indian River County is currently a Class 5 community, providing policyholders with a 25% discount on all flood insurance policies.
To achieve and maintain this rating, the County has adopted enhanced floodplain management standards. The foundation of these standards is found in Chapter 930 of the Stormwater Management and Flood Protection Code, first established in 1990 under Ordinance 90-16. On November 6, 2012, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance No. 2012-036, which revised the County’s floodplain management regulations to align with the Florida Building Code. These updates were adopted to reduce the County’s vulnerability to flooding and to improve resiliency against the increasing frequency and severity of flood events.
Participation in FEMA's CRS program requires communities to track and address repetitive loss (RL) properties - structures that have sustained repeated flood damage. Each year, FEMA provides communities with updated RL property lists, which include addresses, claim dates, claim amounts, and owner information.
CRS communities are responsible for maintaining current RL data. Communities with 50 or more unmitigated repetitive loss properties must:
Research and describe repetitive loss problems
Create and maintain a map of all RL areas
Complete an annual outreach project
Prepare and adopt a Repetitive Loss Area Analysis (RLAA) report.
The RLAA serves as a targeted mitigation plan focused on specific areas or structures experiencing repeated flood losses. Unlike community-wide hazard mitigation or floodplain management plans, the RLAA focuses on building-level data, often collected through field visits, to identify the specific causes of flood damage and recommend site-specific mitigation solutions.
This process helps Indian River County maintain CRS compliance while proactively protecting residents, reducing future flood risk, and strengthening community resiliency.
ANALYSIS
Indian River County staff followed the five-step planning process outlined in the 2017 CRS Manual and the 2021 CRS Manual Addendum.
Mapping of Repetitive Loss Areas
For privacy purposes, repetitive loss (RL) properties were grouped into Repetitive Loss Areas (RLAs) rather than mapped individually. In total, Indian River County identified and mapped 34 RLAs.
Property Owner Outreach
Staff contacted each property owner within the identified RLAs to provide information and invite comments. Feedback received was incorporated into a statistical analysis of the repetitive loss areas.
Coordination with Other Agencies
Staff reviewed and incorporated data from multiple sources, including the Vulnerability Analysis, Flood Insurance Study, Stormwater Master Plan, and Flood Insurance Claims data, to better understand the causes and impacts of flooding within the RLAs.
Site Visits and Data Collection
Site visits were conducted to all properties within the RLAs. Data collected during these visits allowed staff to make preliminary determinations of repetitive flooding issues and to identify appropriate mitigation measures. Each of the 34 RLAs was evaluated individually.
Development of Mitigation Alternatives
In the final step, staff developed a range of mitigation alternatives, identified potential funding sources, and evaluated the pros and cons of each option. Based on this evaluation, staff prepared recommendations to mitigate repetitive loss properties and reduce future flood damage.
BUDGETARY IMPACT
There is no budgetary impact to Indian River County, but with the adoption of the Repetitive Loss Area Analysis (RLAA) report, property owners in the County will be provided a 25% discount on all flood insurance policies.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTIONS
November 6, 2012, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance No. 2012-036
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommend that the Board of County Commissioners adopt the Repetitive Loss Area Analysis (RLAA) to fulfill the Community Rating (CRS) Program requirements.