Letter to Administrator Fugate - New Jersey Delegation Expresses Concern Over NFIP Claims

Letter

On Tuesday, February 12th, Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Congressmen Jon Runyan (R-NJ-03), Scott Garrett (R-NJ-05), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ-02), Rush Holt (D-NJ-12), Frank Pallone (D-NJ-06), Albio Sires (D-NJ-08), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-09), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ-11), and Chris Smith (R-NJ-04) sent a letter to W. Craig Fugate, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency expressing concern over the backlog of claims in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

"New Jerseyans have suffered tremendous hardships since Hurricane Sandy struck last fall. We must do everything we can to respond to them as quickly as possible, but right now the National Flood Insurance Program is failing our constituents," the letter said.

It has been more than three months since Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey and residents are still trying to start rebuilding. The NFIP was founded in 1968 to help property owners obtain insurance for flooding.

The full letter to Administrator Fugate can be viewed here, and the full text is as follows:

February 12, 2013

Dear Administrator Fugate,

We write you today to express our growing concern with the length of time it is taking to process National Flood Insurance policy claims in New Jersey. Governor Chris Christie recently brought to our attention some rather disturbing statistics related to the backlog of claims. According to the Governor, as of February 5, more than 85 percent of Hurricane Sandy related private homeowners' insurance claims have been closed while only 30 percent of Sandy related National Flood Insurance claims have been closed.

New Jerseyans have suffered tremendous hardships since Hurricane Sandy struck last fall. We must do everything we can to respond to them as quickly as possible, but right now the National Flood Insurance Program is failing our constituents. It's been over three months since Hurricane Sandy tore through our state and yet 70 percent of those who filed claims with the NFIP continue to wait. This is unacceptable. According to the Governor's office this backlog exists despite the fact there were 241,000 fewer national flood insurance claims than private homeowners insurance claims.

We understand that after a natural disaster the size and scope of Sandy there might be a backlog, but these statistics are alarming. These unacceptable backlogs must be addressed quickly so that our constituents can rebuild their homes. In order to ensure that this problem is addressed in a timely manner we ask that you please provide us a detailed description of how you plan to address the backlog of claims.

We thank you for your time and look forward to your response.