Case Study: Bellaire, TX improves floodplain management and CRS recovery with Forerunner

Bellaire partnered with Forerunner to digitize and streamline the large volume of work required to recover from a CRS retrograde

The city of Bellaire, TX, a community southwest of Houston, faced a significant challenge when it was retrograded within the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS). This retrograde from a Class 7 to a Class 10 resulted in the loss of vital flood insurance discounts for residents following an audit that identified issues with its manual, paper-based Elevation Certificate review process. To recover its CRS standing and improve floodplain management, Bellaire partnered with Forerunner and implemented its AI-powered platform.

Forerunner provided a centralized digital platform that streamlined Bellaire's workflows. The solution automated the review of Elevation Certificates with an error detection feature that runs hundreds of validation checks, saving the department significant time and improving accuracy. While specific metrics on its CRS recovery are pending, Forerunner equipped Bellaire with the tools to manage Repetitive Loss properties and prepare for using features for tracking substantial damage and improvements, setting the city on a path toward greater resilience and efficiency.

Bellaire, TX

Christian Somers

Assistant Director of Development Services