DENTON, Texas – Residents and business owners in St. John the Baptist Parish can now enjoy a 5 to 10 percent reduction in flood insurance premiums thanks to the parish’s active participation in the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System.

 The community rating program is designed to reduce flood losses, facilitate accurate insurance ratings and promote the awareness of flood insurance. Its main goals are to help make the parish a safer place to live, reduce the economic impact of flood hazards and save citizens money on their flood policy premiums.

“Our participation in this program has proven to be beneficial to our parish and has resulted in substantial savings for our residents,” said Parish President Natalie Robottom. In addition to lower premiums, the CRS program also has helped reduce the threat of damage due to flooding.

 Policyholders in the parish, who reside in Special Flood Hazard Areas, will receive a 10 percent reduction on flood insurance premiums, and policyholders located outside SFHAs will enjoy a 5 percent discount.

 The reduction in flood insurance premiums represents an annual savings of $256,170 in premium costs for parish policy holders and will take effect at the time a new policy is written or an effective policy is renewed.