The Neglected Issue: Superstorm Sandy

By Mark E. Ruquet

Midland Beach Oct. 30, 2012. Photo: Mark Ruquet

Yesterday was Election Day and after a long and tortuous battle, in New York we hope we can finally move onto the main event to decide who the next Mayor of this city will be, along with Comptroller, Public Advocate and other posts. The candidates’ main themes were the end of Stop-and-Frisk, improving education and jobs.

Monday night, Sept. 9, the Midland Beach Civic Association in Staten Island, N.Y., met and Joanna Tierno, chairman of the association’s Shorefront Protection Committee, made an insightful observation. Absent from the rhetoric of these candidates was any in-depth discussion about Superstorm Sandy—as if it never happened. With the largest disaster to hit this city in decades still fresh in people’s minds, scant attention has been paid to the plight of residents financially struggling in the aftermath of this disaster or putting forth a plan to address the many homeowners waiting to return to their homes or waiting for word about a buy-out. And what about next time? Flood remediation? Nothing. The skyrocketing cost of flood insurance? Nada.

It has not been a year since Sandy and people, me included, are facing increased financial burdens. As this board member observed, she budgeted for flood insurance costs in the range of $1,000 to $2,000 not $9,000. Something has to give. Few, if any, of the people most affected by the increases are not rich enough to be doling out this kind of cash. Something has to give, she pointed out, and no one is giving homeowners more money or grants to take care of the increased cost of insurance. This could have an adverse effect on homeownership on a grand scale, and many may end up throwing their hands up in the air and walking away.

“We need this to change for our country,” Tierno said.

Homeowners are to be charged the full actuarial rate. My wife just got a letter from FEMA giving notice that under Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, that with subsidies eliminated we need to supply additional information so they can make a determination of the full-risk premium rate. That includes getting an Elevation Certification for Flood Insurance. I spoke to someone in the know about how much this can cost. He says between $1,000 and $8,000. And then the program wants to tack on an additional $8,0000 or more in premium?

Many insurance experts may look at these numbers and say: that’s the cost of doing business. This isn’t business. This is about people’s livelihood. It’s not a Washington Beltway game and a lot of people—constituents to our representatives—are going to be hurt if Congress doesn’t get its act together and fix these horrendous increases.

On Sept. 28 the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy affected by Congressional dawdling will hold a National Stop FEMA Now Day at noon in New York, New Jersey and Louisiana to protest the increases and bureaucratic bumbling that has made the rebuilding process at least a maddening headache and for some, a nightmare. Middle-class American needs to speak-up or we’ll be ignored.