Clinton And Menendez Amendment To Prevent Blindsiding Of Homeowners In Flood Map Redrawing Passes Senate

Press Release

Clinton And Menendez Amendment To Prevent Blindsiding Of Homeowners In Flood Map Redrawing Passes Senate

Amendment Would Aid Thousands of New Yorkers In Nassau, Suffolk, Broome, Westchester and Erie Counties FEMA Would Be Required To Enhance Outreach About Impact Of New Flood Maps And Effect On Flood Insurance Purchase Requirements and Inform Residents of Their Options

An amendment introduced to the Flood Insurance Bill by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) that addresses the concerns of residents whose homes have been included in federal flood zones, passed the Senate. The amendment will help ensure that homeowners won't be caught off guard and are fully educated about all of the options available to them if their property falls within a federal flood zone when new floodplain maps are redrawn. The amendment could aid thousands of residents in Erie County whose property is now within flood zones following a preliminary redrawing of the Buffalo floodplain maps, along with homeowners in Nassau and Suffolk who are seeing their flood maps redrawn for the first time in over a decade. According to reports FEMA is taking steps to update flood maps in Broome County in response to the flooding of the last two years, and flood maps were updated in Westchester County following severe flooding in the region last April.

"There is no argument that updated flood maps and modernizing the flood insurance program are important and necessary if property is at risk, but we must be sure that people are not caught by surprise if their homes are included in a flood zone," said Senator Clinton. "Effective communication between FEMA and area residents, coupled with education regarding how flood maps affect insurance requirements and flood risk, while ensuring that residents have access to an appeals process are critical to ensuring confidence in this program."

The amendment would require FEMA to initiate specific outreach activities including:

* Notifying property owners when their properties become included in, or when they are excluded from, an area having special flood hazards and the effect of such inclusion or exclusion on the applicability of the mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement;
* Educating property owners regarding the flood risk and reduction of this risk in their community, including the continued flood risks to areas that are no longer subject to the flood insurance mandatory purchase requirement;
* Educating property owners about the benefits and costs of maintaining or acquiring flood insurance, including, where applicable, lower-cost preferred risk policies under this title for such properties and the contents of such properties;
* Education owners about map revision and proposed flood elevation appeals process; and
* Encouraging owners to maintain or acquire such coverage

Under current law, homeowners whose houses fall within these new flood zones would be required to purchase flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). While the program benefits many homeowners throughout the country, the accuracy of the redrawing of the maps has been questioned, and many areas throughout New York that have not experienced floods in generations have found themselves required to purchase what may be unnecessary flood insurance. The Menendez- Clinton amendment would require FEMA, the federal agency that administers the NFIP, to enhance communication and outreach to states, local communities, and property owners about the impact of new flood maps and their effect on flood insurance purchase requirements.

Included in the underlying bill were provisions that will help ensure the speed, accountability and accuracy of the national floodplain map redrawing effort. The bill authorizes appropriations of $400 million per year for map modernization and re-establishes the Technical Mapping Advisory Council which will establish standards for mapping, including requirements that all maps be updated using the most accurate data and that all maps be digitized.

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