CENTRAL — Mayor Wade Evans says that, while Central received a FEMA rating intended to reflect reduced flood risk and provide corresponding insurance premium discounts, the timing of these savings does not match what they were previously told by FEMA. 

Evans said Tuesday that Central has made significant, measurable progress in strengthening floodplain management, improving infrastructure planning and promoting responsible development, all of which resulted in a CRS Class 5 rating.
Evans says this rating "remains a significant achievement and does reduce premiums relative to what they would otherwise be."

He said that, based on FEMA’s guidance and national communications, communities were led to understand that improved CRS ratings would translate into meaningful cost savings for residents. Instead, many properties are undergoing gradual premium increases in the transition to a new, property-specific rating model — Risk Rating 2.0.

"During this transition, those increases are, in many cases, outpacing or masking the discounts associated with CRS classifications. As a result, residents are not consistently seeing the immediate financial relief that was anticipated," Central officials said.

Evans' office says that this disconnect highlights the need for clearer, more precise communication regarding how CRS benefits are applied under FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 system.

“We are proud of the work that has been done to achieve our CRS rating—it reflects real progress in reducing flood risk in our community,” Evans said. “At the same time, we share our residents’ frustration. The way these changes have been communicated at the federal level has not fully matched what people are experiencing in their insurance bills.”