NEW HAVEN, CT – In recent years, the City of New Haven has experienced several heavy rainstorms and coastal storms that have caused flooding in certain areas of the City, occasionally resulting in impassable roads, damage to property, and potential threats to public health and safety.
To help address this, the City of New Haven is continuously working to improve its preparedness for natural hazards and disasters — including floods, hurricanes, severe storms, and other major weather events – and to foster community resilience and awareness through various educational and public information efforts.
To better protect themselves and their property from the potential threats caused by natural hazards and flooding, residents are encouraged to:
- Check the City of New Haven’s interactive map to see if their property is in a FEMA Flood Hazard Zone at newhavenct.gov/cityplan
- Visit the “Flood Information” page on the City’s website or contact the City Plan Department for more information at (203) 314-3263.
In 2018, the City of New Haven in coordination with the Southern Central Regional Council of Governments created a Hazard Mitigation Plan to help manage the region’s potential flood hazards and to help mitigate against potential threats and damage from flooding events and has since advanced a myriad of action projects and strategies.
As part of the plan, City Plan Department annually prepares and provides an update on the progress of these projects and strategies for the public to review.
Further, the plan is actively being updated to adjust for new natural hazards and to account for progress addressing previous hazards. Residents can stay informed on the latest updates and progress by visiting: scrcog.org/regional-planning/regional-hazard-mitigation/
These annual updates are also a component of the City of New Haven’s participation in the FEMA Community Rating System (CRS), a “voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community planning management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).”
Per FEMA, “in CRS communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community’s efforts that address the three goals of the program: 1) Reduce and avoid flood damage to insurable property; 2) Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the National Flood Insurance Program, and 3) Foster comprehensive floodplain management.”
New Haven’s participation in the program facilities flood insurance discounts of 15 percent for residents and New Haven is one of 1,500 communities nationwide that participate in the FEMA Community Rating System program.
PRESS CONTACT
Lenny H. Speiller; (203) 725-4249; Lspeiller@newhavenct.gov
