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Newport News Repetitive Loss Plan Progress Report
ABOUT THE REPETITIVE LOSS PLAN
The City of Newport News is vulnerable to frequent flooding from coastal surges,
riverine overflow, and heavy rainfall. The City joined the National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP) on December 31, 1974, and has taken additional steps to join the
Community Rating System (CRS), in April 2022. The CRS incentivizes communities to
exceed minimum NFIP standards in floodplain management. As a Class 6 CRS
community, Newport News’ strong floodplain management program entitles NFIP
policyholders in the City to receive a 20% discount on flood insurance premiums.
The NFIP’s recent implementation of Risk Rating 2.0 aims to improve the program’s
financial stability by aligning premiums with individual property risk. However,
repetitive loss (RL) and severe repetitive loss (SRL) properties continue to strain the
program since many of the losses under the NFIP come from these properties.
Repetitive loss: Any insurable building for which two or more claims of more
than $1,000 have been paid by the NFIP within any 10-year period, since 1978.
An RL property may or may not be currently insured under the NFIP.
Severe Repetitive Loss Property: defined by the Flood Insurance Reform Act
of 2004, are 1-4 family residences that have had four of more claims of more
than $5,000 or at least two claims that cumulatively exceed the building’s
value. The Act created new funding mechanisms to help mitigate flood
damage for these properties.
To maintain participation in the CRS, repetitive loss area data must be reviewed and
updated annually. In compliance with this requirement, the City of Newport News
developed a Repetitive Loss Area Analysis in August 2024.
The plan reported that Newport News has 126 RL and SRL properties, designating it
as a Category C repetitive loss community. Reducing flood risk for these properties is
essential to maintaining CRS participation and minimizing long-term flood impacts.
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