Letter to R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Letter

Letter to R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency

SCHUMER CALLS ON FEMA TO ALLEVIATE FLOOD MAP CONFUSION AS BUFFALO HOMEOWNERS SEARCH FOR ANSWERS ON MUCH-NEEDED INSURANCE RELIEF

Schumer Successfully Helped to Remove Homeowners From 100-Year Flood Plain Map So That Residents Could Have Relief From Astronomical and Unnecessary Insurance Costs

But Residents Remain in the Dark On How to Stop Costly Insurance Bills From Arriving

In Letter to FEMA, Senator Outlines Plan for Agency to Help Buffalo Residents Understand New Rules

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to improve communication with Buffalo localities and homeowners as they work to ease concern and confusion following the welcomed removal of certain homes from the 100-year flood map. Due to the change, certain homeowners are eligible to stop paying expensive, unnecessary insurance premiums. As a result, local officials have been flooded with calls from Buffalo residents who are confused about the process, yet the officials have not been provided by FEMA with the necessary tools to answer the residents' questions creating confusion and uncertainty.

In an effort to rapidly provide answers to a confused public, Senator Schumer called for FEMA to take key steps to better inform homeowners about the flood map change and -- for those who are eligible -- what they can do to receive relief from potentially unnecessary insurance costs.

"FEMA needs to move fast to get better information into the hands of both local officials and homeowners so that those who are eligible to get out from under the crushing burden of unnecessary flood insurance costs can do so ASAP," said Senator Schumer. "Our good work reforming the outdated flood map will spoil if we don't make things crystal clear to overburdened homeowners. The simple, low-cost solution to this problem is to rapidly provide local officials and homeowners with the right information on the changes to the flood plain map."

Schumer has long worked to help Buffalo residents struggling with back-breaking insurance fees because of an outdated flood map. This month, FEMA announced it was updating the map, freeing many residents from the constraints of high insurance fees.

However, recent reports and complaints from homeowners and officials show that residents do not have adequate information on the type of documents they need to obtain insurance relief. And some erroneously believe that their flood insurance premiums will be rescinded automatically.

Schumer, in a letter to FEMA Administrator David Paulison, concerned that local residents will not receive the insurance relief they deserve, called on FEMA to immediately produce a plain-English fact sheet that outlines for homeowners what they need to know -- and what they must do -- if their home has been removed from the flood plain map. Schumer also urged FEMA to improve communication with local officials to ensure a smooth process moving forward.

Below is a copy of the letter:

R. David Paulison, Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency
500 C Street S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20472

October 16, 2008

Dear Administrator Paulison,

I write about recent issues in the City of Buffalo regarding notification to homeowners who have been removed from the 100-year flood plain and therefore might be eligible to no longer pay expensive flood insurance premiums. While I realize that there are challenges for FEMA in notifying each homeowner and each mortgage company, I do feel after conversations with the local officials and homeowners in the affected areas in Buffalo that some improvements can and must be made in the process.

Specifically, FEMA should be more proactive with localities that have changes to flood plain maps and be very clear to localities what parts of the notification process, if any, FEMA handles and what part the localities and individual homeowners are responsible for themselves. The problem in Buffalo is that homeowners were not notified that they were removed from the flood plain or what they should do, if anything, if they were removed. Local officials were not fully aware of which parts of the notification process was their responsibility and what steps to instruct their constituent homeowners to follow to get relief from the flood insurance premiums.

I believe there are common sense fixes to this communication problem that FEMA could easily implement. FEMA could, for example, develop a fact sheet that outlines for homeowners the "Things You Need to Know if Your Home has been Removed from a Flood Plain". Localities could easily distribute a fact sheet like this to affected residents and eliminate confusion on all levels.

Most homeowners are not aware that further action was necessary after their properties were removed from the flood maps. As a result, additional flood insurance bills that were delivered after the new flood maps had been issued, led to confusion and fear. A simple fact sheet or similar outreach materials could be an easy fix to this gap in communication giving localities a tool and stemming confusion for homeowners.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of my suggestions on improving communication

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