National Flood Insurance Program News

FEMA’s Sandy Flood Insurance Review Taking Longer Than Expected

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s review of Superstorm Sandy flood insurance claims is taking longer than expected, with fewer than 200 checks issued. FEMA announced in March the review for as many as 142,000 claims after homeowners complained they were …

Shortchanged Sandy Victims Get More Flood Insurance Cash After Claims Review

Many people who complained a federal insurance program shortchanged them after Superstorm Sandy swamped their homes are getting some validation three years later in the form of cash. A Federal Emergency Management Agency review launched in the spring has been …

N.Y. Sen. Gillibrand Calls for More Transparency in NFIP Claims Process

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, is announcing legislation to require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be more accountable to property owners who file claims. Gillibrand says many New Yorkers whose homes were damaged or destroyed during Superstorm Sandy …

N.J. Lawmakers: FEMA Maps May Have Exaggerated Flood Risk Across State

New Jersey’s Congressional delegation members sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Oct. 23, expressing “significant concerns with the methodology” of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for New Jersey. In a letter to FEMA Administrator …

N.Y. Assemblyman Seeks to Build Coalition to Fix ‘Broken’ NFIP

New York State Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D – Rockaway Beach) is reaching out to congressional representatives in Mississippi and Louisiana communities hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to encourage collaboration on reforming the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Goldfeder …

FEMA Extends Deadline for Requesting Sandy Claims Review to Oct. 15

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a 30-day deadline extension for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders who are considering requesting Superstorm Sandy-related payment reviews. The announcement means the initial Sept. 15 deadline has now been formally extended to …

Florida Commissioner McCarty Says NFIP Rates May Be Unfairly Discriminatory

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said on Aug. 14 that the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) rates for Florida may be “unfairly discriminatory” and that his office will ask for the actuarial study, including data and models used to determine …

FEMA Encourages Sandy Claimants Seeking Reviews to Meet Sept. 15 Deadline

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it strongly encourages National Flood Insurance Program policyholders seeking Superstorm Sandy-related payment reviews to submit them by Sept. 15, but will consider all requests that come in. Agency spokesman Rafael Lemaitre said on Aug. …

FEMA Makes 1st New Payments to Sandy Flood Claimants After Review

The federal government has started making new payments to victims of Superstorm Sandy after a review found that some policyholders were not paid what they were due from the National Flood Insurance Program. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Monday …

New York’s Utica First to Withdraw From WYO Flood Insurance Program

Utica First Insurance Company in Oriskany, New York, notified its independent agency partners last week that the company will withdraw from the Write Your Own (WYO) Program, a cooperative undertaking of the insurance industry and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s …