Central residents will see a 25% discount on their flood insurance premiums starting next fall, city officials have announced. This reduction comes as a result of the city’s improved rating from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a reflection of its enhanced storm water management and other measures designed to mitigate flood risk within the East Baton Rouge Parish community.
The city recently achieved a Class 5 rating from the NFIP, a two-spot improvement. In 2024, Central was one of only two government entities in Louisiana with this rating, alongside Jefferson Parish and the city of Mandeville. The 25% discount for Central residents is slated to take effect on October 1st. Currently, the discount stands at 15%.
Despite this positive development, residents and businesses in Central may still experience an overall increase in flood insurance rates. This is due to the longer-term changes being implemented in the federally subsidized insurance program. Central, a city with a population of 30,000, faces unique challenges. Bordered by the Amite and Comite rivers, and crisscrossed by numerous waterways, it was severely impacted by the devastating August 2016 flood. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses were inundated, leaving a lasting impact on the community. Approximately 60% of Central falls within the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) special flood hazard area, subjecting it to specific floodplain management regulations and mandatory flood insurance requirements.
The improved premiums for Central come at a time when flood insurance costs are rising significantly elsewhere. This is a result of the NFIP’s transition to its controversial Risk Rating 2.0 system. In 2023, areas within Central were projected to see insurance increases that were far above the national average, phased in over several years. For instance, neighborhoods around Central City Hall were expecting a 114% increase over time – up to $2,035 per policy owner, according to FEMA estimates. While the NFIP limits any single-year increase to a maximum of 18%, Central residents could still see their premiums rise, even with the boost from their 10% discount improvement.
Earlier this week, Mayor Wade Evans, along with the city’s consulting engineer, Stokka Brown, presented details on the city’s improvements at a meeting of the Amite River Basin Commission, which oversees flood control across several parishes. Central’s efforts include adopting new development rules, creating a custom computer model to predict flood risk from new development, conducting regular aerial imaging of the city’s geography, and establishing a comprehensive storm water management plan. The city has also enhanced the maintenance of its drainage infrastructure and waterways, actively pursuing grants for this work.
Evans, a former city councilman and a landscaper and contractor by trade, emphasized that the August 2016 flood served as a catalyst for these improvements. These initiatives began under the previous administration and have continued under his leadership. The flood affected 60% of the city’s structures, leading to Evans’s deeper involvement in local government. “The flood changed my life in many ways. When…you cart your children out of your house in a Rubbermaid bin to get them to a boat, it changes your outlook,” Evans stated. “And I can empathize with the citizens who are ultimately scarred because of that flood. There are people who really have fears.”
The city’s new real-time flood forecasting website, known as Early FloWS, combines various rain and weather forecasts, river gauge data, and other information to provide real-time estimates of water levels. The program targets selected bridges, highways, and other critical locations throughout the city, according to Central officials. Central has also installed its own hydrology equipment at every bridge crossing within the city’s various watersheds, Evans said. The equipment was purchased using funding from the President Biden-era American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion COVID stimulus program.
“So, Ms. Smith, who sits and worries every time we have a bad rainfall, can put herself at ease to see that water is not projected to even get this close to the street or whatever,” Evans explained. Evans hopes that this forecasting work may potentially lead to a further reduction in the city’s flood insurance classification, possibly within a year.
Central’s progress attracted interest from members of the Amite River Basin Commission. Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment inquired about how the Central system uses both rain forecasts and real-time rain data. Ed Knight, deputy assistant secretary for public works, asked how the city’s flooding model used for development review could be applied statewide or across the entire Amite River Basin.
However, Brown, Central’s consultant, indicated that the city’s model is not directly expandable to such vast areas and that several models covering smaller areas would likely be needed.
