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DEEP: Every Connecticut community participates in NFIP; roughly 32,000 policies cover roughly $8 billion in assets
Summary
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection told the Jan. 30 forum that all Connecticut municipalities participate in the NFIP and that state DEEP acts as the NFIP coordinating agency, supports Community Rating System communities and provides direct help to property owners.
State officials told the Insurance and Real Estate Committee that Connecticut has full participation in the National Flood Insurance Program and that the DEEP is the state coordinating agency for NFIP administration.
"Connecticut is actually 1 of the few states in the nation with 100% participation in the NFIP," said Diane Iffkovic, NFIP coordinator for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Iffkovic said FEMA has produced flood maps for every Connecticut community and that local governments adopt and enforce floodplain regulations through zoning and permitting processes.
DEEP staff described the agency's role as a liaison to FEMA, providing technical permitting assistance, audits, regulation reviews, training and support for the Community Rating System (CRS), a voluntary program that grants flood-insurance premium discounts to communities that go beyond NFIP minimums. "Connecticut currently has 14 CRS communities," Iffkovic said.
State figures cited at the forum: roughly 32,000 NFIP policies in force in Connecticut covering about $8 billion in assets, with annual NFIP premiums reported in the $43 million range and roughly 29,000 paid losses since 1978 (DEEP figures presented at the hearing).
Iffkovic and other speakers said the property-line flood-map designation is not a guarantee of safety; storms can overwhelm mapped floodplains. She repeated the panel's central consumer guidance: property owners inside mapped high-risk zones may be required by their lender to maintain flood insurance, and anyone can purchase NFIP coverage whether their property is inside or outside the mapped zone. Iffkovic noted the usual NFIP limits and the standard 30-day waiting period for new policies except when coverage is required at mortgage closing.
Ending: DEEP encouraged property owners to check flood maps, consult local permitting officials and talk with agents about flood coverage, mitigation grants and disaster assistance.
