Fort Myers Beach to regain National Flood Insurance Program discount

The Town of Fort Myers Beach announced it has been brought back into the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System. Beginning April 1, most property owners will have their 25% flood insurance premium discounts returned. The town lost this discount earlier this year after a decision by FEMA last year to take the town out of the program and put it on probation due to permitting issues after Hurricane Ian.

“This is a game-changing win for Fort Myers Beach,” Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Will McKannay said. “A Class 5 CRS rating means lower flood insurance costs for our residents, stronger protection for homes and businesses, and national recognition that this Town has turned a corner. After the devastation of Hurricane Ian, this milestone proves how far we’ve come. It reflects extraordinary work by our staff and partners, and it puts real savings back into residents’ pockets while strengthening the future of Fort Myers Beach.”

FEMA had identified issues in the documentation of permits and floodplain regulation management in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and identified non-compliant structures in the special flood hazard area, in its decision to put the town on probation.

In a recent letter to the town, FEMA declared the town had addressed all outstanding issues relating to a July community assistance visit that was part of the requirement for the town to be taken off probation.

During that visit, FEMA had put the town on notice that 252 properties were out of compliance. The town initially was caught off guard by the notice and declared that property owners would have to quickly remove temporary trailers. The town, under McKannay, later set up a system for those with trailers to apply for an extension to keep the trailers so long as property owners developed plans for rebuilding their homes and had mitigating circumstances for delays in repairing and rebuilding their homes and businesses.

The town provided waivers for those who have trailers if they can show they are working to rebuild their homes or businesses, and have a plan to do so, or have mitigating issues they are dealing with. The town took enforcement action against some properties out of compliance with floodplain code regulations.

FEMA had initially informed the town it would be taken off probation in April, though the site visit in July raised new issues from the agency. FEMA cited temporary trailers on properties as being in violation of the town’s code.

Last month, the town was found by FEMA in its recent determination to be 81% compliant out of the 252 properties that FEMA had identified with issues back in July.

The town took code enforcement action against a number of properties earlier in the year, including La Ola at Times Square over temporary trailers in the special flood hazard area. The business has continued to operate, as well as neighboring business Buffalo Grill, which also operates out of trailers. Another business at Times Square, Meli’s Ice Cream, has been approved for plans to construct a three-story building to house the ice cream business along with an apartment on the top floor.

Another issue that FEMA had identified last year when it put the town on probation was the presence of storage containers on properties throughout the town. The town issued citations to dozens of properties where storage containers were placed in violation of town codes. Nearly all of those cases were resolved.

Town property owners lost their 25% flood insurance discount for policies that renewed or began April 1 as a result of the probation which was instituted last year. The lifting of the town’s probationary status will also end the $50 surcharge to flood insurance policies within the town’s limits.