Community Rating System (CRS) Documents

For more information please contact William Trakimas at wtrakimas@iso.com.

The following documents are the latest versions of theCRS Coordinator's Manual and its related documents. These documents explain the CRS and provide all of the tools needed to apply for participation. They also provide examples of activities that will increase a community's CRS credit.

General CRS Documents

CRS Coordinator's Manual. 2007, 564 pages, 8.3 mb. This Manual includes the CRS Schedule, which sets the criteria for CRS classification, and CRS Commentary on the Schedule. The procedures in this manual are used by a community to submit an application for CRS classification.

CRS Application. 2007, 66 pages, 1.6 mb. The rating formulas, verification procedures, credit criteria, and documentation requirements are described in more detail in the CRS Coordinator’s Manual. This CRS Application discusses only the procedures, scoring, and documentation that is needed for an initial application.

CRS Activity Worksheets. 2007, 128 pages, 863 kb. These worksheets are filled out by the community or the ISO Specialist to determine the credit points a community earns. They can be used for the community's initial application, subsequent modifications submitted by the community, and for the verification visit.

CRS Record Keeping Guidance. 2007, 26 pages, 521 kb. This guide covers things that are needed for the verification and cycle verification visits and the annual recertification.

"Joining the Community Rating System." 1 page, 32 kb.

Documents Related to Specific CRS Activities

Activity 310 - "Elevation Certificate Reference Guide." 2009, 5 pages, 732 kb. Graphic assistance for completing the FEMA Elevation Certificate.

Activity 330 - CRS Credit for Outreach Projects. 2006, 112 pages, 10.2 mb. This publication reviews the credit, the credit points, and the documentation requirements for outreach projects. Guidelines are presented for the development of projects and public information program strategies, including guidance on how to make a project more effective and a description of common problems found in outreach documents.

Section 404 - "Using the Grid Overlay to Figure Areas." 1995, 3 pages, 510 kb.

Activity 410 - "CRS Credit for Floodplain Mapping." 2007, 9 pages, 376 kb. If your community has contributed to, improved upon, or added to the floodplain map and data provided by FEMA, you could receive CRS credit under Activity 410, Additional Flood Data. Follow seven steps to determine the credit.

Activity 410 - "CTP Credit." June 1, 2008, 9 pages, 30 kb. CRS credit provided to communities that are Cooperating Technical Partners.

Activity 430 - "CRS Credit for Higher Regulatory Standards." 2006, 78 pages, 1.2 mb. Activity 430 (Higher Regulatory Standards) is the primary CRS activity for crediting floodplain development regulations that are more restrictive than the NFIP requirements. The basic credit criteria for Activity 430 are explained in the CRS Coordinator’s Manual. This publication expands on those explanations and provides examples of credited regulatory language and guidance on how to calculate the credit points for Activity 430.

Activity 430 - "CRS Credit for Coastal A Zone Regulations." 2006, 7 pages, 310 kb. The CRS encourages local governments to adopt regulations that require the foundation design in a Coastal A Zone comply with the more stringent requirements applied to V Zones.

Activity 430 - "Nonconversion Agreement for Certain Structures in the Floodplain." 2007, 1 page, 17 kb.

Activity 430 - "Protecting Building Utilities and Ductwork from Flood Damage." 2002, 3 pages, 106 kb.

Activity 440 - "NAVD->NGVD." 2008, 2 pages, 91 kb. A discussion of the use of NAVD 88 for FIRMs.

Activity 450 - CRS Credit for Stormwater Management. 2007, 57 pages, 1.2 mb. Among the objectives of the Community Rating System (CRS) are flood damage reduction and water quality protection. These objectives are addressed by the elements in this CRS activity.

Activity 510 - Example Plans. 2007, 78 pages, 2.1 mb. The CRS credit for following the floodplain management planning process is provided under CRS Activity 510 (Floodplain Management Planning). This document expands on Activity 510 and provides guidance on the planning process. It includes references for more information and identifies local plans that illustrate various components of the CRS credit for planning.

Activity 540 - CRS Credit for Drainage System Maintenance. 2007, 64 pages, 3.3 mb. One of the objectives of the Community Rating System (CRS) is to encourage and recognize programs that prevent flooding caused by blockages or reduction in storage resulting from accumulations of debris. The objective of this publication is to explain the CRS credit criteria and provide examples.

Activity 610 - CRS Credit for Flood Warning Programs. 2006, 62 pages, 1.8 mb. The Community Rating System (CRS) encourages and recognizes flood warning programs that provide timely warning of impending flood threats, disseminate warnings to floodplain occupants, and coordinate flood response activities.

Activity 630 - CRS Credit for Dam Safety. 2006, 38 pages, 615 kb. The objectives of this activity are to encourage state dam safety officials to complete their inventories of dams; to encourage state dam safety officials to get the most dangerous dams repaired or modified to reduce the threat of dam failure; to encourage state dam safety officials to get EAPs completed for all dams that pose high or significant hazards to downstream residents; and to encourage communities to integrate dam failure planning into their emergency plans.

Special Hazards

CRS Credit for Management of Coastal Erosion Hazards. 2006, 52 pages, 958 kb. This publication discusses the credits provided by the CRS for mapping and management of coastal erosion hazards.

CRS Credit for Mitigation of Tsunami Hazards. 2006, 48 pages, 666 kb. This publication discusses the credits provided by the CRS for mapping and management of tsunami hazards.

Special Hazards Supplement to the CRS Coordinator’s Manual. 2006, 78 pages, 747 kb. This publication discusses the credits provided by the CRS for mapping and management of Ice jam flooding, flooding adjacent to closed basin lakes, mudflow hazards, flooding affected by land subsidence and uncertain flow path flood hazards.

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