Flood Insurance

National Flood Insurance Program sign saying be flood alert


The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) makes federally-backed flood insurance available to property owners and tenants in communities that adopt and enforce floodplain regulations. Because the City participates in the Community Rating System (CRS), an NFIP program, policies receive an automatic 25% reduction in insurance rates. Starting in 2022, the NFIP is using a new way to calculate insurance rates, Risk Rating 2.0, so quotes from insurance agents may look different than in years past. For more information on Risk Rating 2.0, visit: https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance/risk-rating 


Flood insurance policies are sold through licensed insurance agents and require a 30-day waiting period for coverage to take effect. So don’t wait for a flood to be forecast to get flood insurance. More information about flood insurance can be found at www.floodsmart.gov.  Damage due to flooding is typically not covered by regular homeowner’s insurance.

During a storm, if a tree falls on a roof and causes a home to flood, most standard insurance policies will cover that claim. However, if a storm causes the water to rise around a home and those waters flow into and flood a home, then most standard insurance policies will not cover that claim.

NFIP/CRS logo


In 2023, there were 158 flood insurance policies in force with almost $41 million in property covered. The annual premiums total over $176,000. Since 1978 when the City joined the NFIP, only 45 claims have been paid to policies within the City totaling less than $100,000.


The City has earned enough points to be a Class 5 Community, so flood insurance policyholders receive an automatic discount of 25% on their premiums. The CRS classes range from 9 to 1, with 9 being the lowest class with no premium discount. In Colorado, only eleven other communities are Class 5 or better.

Regulations include:

  • Requiring floodplain permits for work with mapped floodplains
  • Prohibiting storage of hazardous materials or dumping of any materials in mapped floodplains
  • Requiring stormwater facilities for new development or redevelopment

Activities include:

  • Emergency Warning System, the 15 sirens used to broadcast alerts. For information on flood notifications and warnings, 
  • Emergency Drills conducted with Jefferson County involving multiple City departments.
  • Preserving floodplains as open space. 
  • Acquiring flood-prone properties.
  • Record keeping – floodplain maps and elevation certificates.
  • Outreach – public information distribution on floodplain topics.
  • Maintaining stormwater facilities, including streams, pipes, inlets, and ditches.
  • Participating in the Jefferson County Multi-Hazard Plan (MHP) – updated in 2021. For more information on the MHP, visit Hazard Mitigation Plan