Schumer Secures Response from FEMA for Gates Flood Maps - Agency Agrees to Work With Town to Re-Examine Flawed Flood Maps that Cost Homeowners Hundreds of Dollars in Unnecessary Fees

Press Release

SCHUMER SECURES RESPONSE FROM FEMA FOR GATES FLOOD MAPS - AGENCY AGREES TO WORK WITH TOWN TO RE-EXAMINE FLAWED FLOOD MAPS THAT COST HOMEOWNERS HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN UNNECESSARY FEES

In Tough Economic Times, Gates Homeowners Slapped With Mandatory, Onerous Insurance Costs between $400 - $1000 Per Household, As a Result of Baffling New FEMA Flood Maps

Schumer Ratcheted Up the Pressure on FEMA Last Week With a Personal Phone Call to Acting FEMA Administrator - Called on Her to Work with Local Officials

Schumer Successfully Secured a Response From FEMA

Following two major pushes over the past two months to help homeowners in the Gates community of Rochester, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has agreed to work with the Town of Gates to reexamine the homes that were included in the newly established flood maps zone. Last week, Schumer made a personal phone call to the new acting FEMA administrator Nancy Ward to ratchet up the pressure on the agency to immediately revise the flood maps at no expense to the individual residents affected. Schumer said this is a good step forward and vowed to fight to the end to have the flood maps fairly revised and make sure homeowners aren't inexplicably slapped with mandatory and onerous insurance costs.

"This is a serious issue that needs serious action and I'm glad that FEMA has recognized our call to focus on re-examining the flood maps in the Gates community. These are very tough economic times and we cannot let Monroe County homeowners get slapped with mandatory and onerous flood insurance fees that in many cases are unnecessary," Schumer said. "This is a significant step forward but I will continue to keep a vigilant watch over this process to make sure local homeowners are protected. I will also push FEMA to work with other local towns that also may have had inexplicable, unnecessary insurance fees placed on them."

Despite no record of previous flooding, many homes in the Gates community - and more across Monroe County - have been shoehorned into a mandatory Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) which stipulates the amount of insurance they should pay based on the potential threat of a flood. Several homeowners have successfully fought FEMA at their own expense, hiring land surveyors that proved their home should not be included in the flood zone. These surveys cost residents hundreds of dollars each.

In December, Schumer sent a letter to then- FEMA Administrator Paulison supporting the Town's request to revise the maps to exclude certain properties from the flood zone, but the request has yet to be approved. When no response was given, Schumer made another push in January, personally calling Acting FEMA Administrator Nancy Ward to urge her to work with local officials to issue the Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) immediately and at no expense to the individual resident. On the call, Schumer also noted that residents in other Monroe County towns such as Webster, Irondequoit and the City of Rochester are similarly displeased with the maps. Schumer received assurances that she would have a response in then next two weeks.

Today, Schumer announced that FEMA had replied to his request and has said they will work with the Town of Gates to reexamine the flood maps. Schumer said this was a good step forward but that he would continue to push FEMA until a new LOMR is issued and at no expense to the individual resident. Schumer said he would also follow up to ensure that FEMA works closely with other towns such as Webster, Irondequoit and the City of Rochester that are also displeased with the maps

The new flood maps throughout Monroe County were created as a result of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Map Modernization Initiative. Through this $1 billion project, FEMA is updating local flood maps throughout the nation using digital technology. Some local flood maps have not been updated in decades.

Flood maps for all of Monroe County became effective as of August 28, 2008. Local residents, who were never in a flood zone before, now must pay $400-$1,000 annually to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. Town officials have contacted FEMA to work on securing a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) to remove properties in question from the flood zone.

In addition to slamming homeowners with high fees, the current sky-high insurance fees could deter a homeowner's ability in Gates to sell their homes at market rate and for the community to attract new investment in nearby properties.

In December, Schumer visited the Courtright Lane neighborhood of Gates near Buffalo Road and Route 490 to look at properties that residents and local officials believe were inaccurately included in the flood maps. Schumer learned that the town of Gates had already identified many homes that were inaccurately included in the new Flood Insurance Rate Map, which dictates the SFIP, and homeowners were being forced to foot the bill despite the inaccuracies. Schumer sent a letter to former FEMA Administrator Paulison supporting the Town's efforts to revise the maps to exclude certain properties from the flood zone.

Source