THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY Management Agency wants to hear from Sandy damaged homeowners not satisfied with their flood insurance claims.
“While I’ve seen many of the cases that were adjudicated properly, ” said Roy Wright, deputy associate administrator for FEMA’s federal insurance and mitigation administration, “I’ve seen too many instances where we did not come up with the best answer.”
FEMA will accept review requests from dissatisfied insurance policyholders until Sept. 15.
“It’s a simple message,” Wright said in a telephone interview from his Washington, D.C. office. “If you believe you were underpaid for any reason after a Sandy flood insurance claim, call us. We want to review that with you.”
The National Flood Insurance Program, overseen by Wright’s department, received 144,000 claims in the aftermath of Super Storm Sandy in Oct. 2012 from property owners mostly in New Jersey and New York and a few thousand in coastal Connecticut. Some have accepted and are satisfied with their claims, but over the course of time several thousand claimants have gone to court alleging the amount FEMA determined missed the mark. For the remaining number who dispute the federal agency’s assessment, Wright said, “You shouldn’t have to take us to court to get us to this point.”
Ted Friedli’s Long Branch home was deemed significantly damaged by Sandy (meaning it was more than 51 percent damaged) and had hoped his flood insurance would cover considerably more of the repairs. “The whole downstairs was completely flooded,” with about four feet of water, he remembered. “The house needed to be gutted completely. We put in new siding, a new roof, and we redid the floor completely.”
To rebuild, lift and upgrade his home cost him an estimated $500,000. He received $150,000 from the insurance claim, but in his opinion he was entitled to the full policy amount of $250,000.
Friedli has hired a lawyer from a Louisiana firm specializing in flood claims and is seeking to have his case reviewed.
The initial process, Friedli said, was “extremely frustrating, extremely time consuming.
“I understand why so many people don’t want to open up a flood claim again, because they’re so disappointed to begin again,” he said.
FEMA’s steps to review this many claims, possibly as many as 11,300, is unprecedented for the agency, Wright said. “I think what it points out is we clearly
need to transform this program to be more survivor-centric, more focused on the policy holder,” he acknowledged.
“We’re committed to meeting our commitment to give policy holders every dollar they’re owed under their policies,” Wright added.
This is one of a series of steps FEMA officials, including Wright, are taking to focus “on how we restore the policy holders’ trust in the program,” he said.
Friedli appreciated the opportunity to correct the situation, but advised others to follow his path and retain a lawyer (who in this case will get one- third of the amount). “It’s worth the cost.”
FEMA officials said those wanting their claims reviewed should call 866-337-4262 and provide their name and policy number. Policyholders can also go online to www.fema.gov/ hurricane-sandy-nfip-claims to download an application.
By John Burton
