By Mark E. Ruquet
Why did FEMA make my wife cry?
The agency that is in the business of coming to the rescue
in times of disaster is putting her dreams to an end thanks to the broken
promise that government should be there to aid the public in its greatest time
of need. That need is now a disaster caused by our own government as community
after community along the coastline and rivers of the United States get slapped
with unsustainable flood insurance increases.
For us, we received our renewal in early November with a
shocking rate increase of over 151 percent to more than $3,000 a year on $100,000 of property coverage. We held
off paying, hoping that Congress would realize it created a monster that will
drive many middleclass Americans out of their homes and roll back the
increases. Well, a small group of narrow minded legislators have held-up the
bill to help middleclass America, no doubt at the behest of their deep-pocketed
conservative lobbyists. The result is deepening panic in communities throughout
this country.
FEMA and legislators in flood-exposed districts must be getting
an earful, and the chorus is only going to get louder as more Americans are hit
with these astronomical flood insurance rate increases. If our more experience with
our renewal is any indication, the situation is about to get worse.
We received our 151 percent renewal quote increase before
FEMA reviewed the elevation certificate they required us to obtain with the renewal.
That alone was no bargain either since it required us to hire a surveyor for
the certification. A few days ago, FEMA sent us a new bill after reviewing the elevation
certificate, something we hoped would help us, not hurt us. Our rate increase
now stands at 200 percent at well over $4,000.
This is getting close to a backbreaker, limiting our
options for our future. Biggert--Waters, the law mandating these increases,
requires rates to rise 25 percent over the next four years. Some quick math and
that would mean our flood insurance would rise to well over $8,000 a year
within four years. That is unsustainable.
My wife's tears are not just for the astronomical rate
increases we are facing. We are being placed in a dire position where we have
to sell the home she worked 25 years to pay off, or walk away from it because we
can't afford to live here anymore.
After Sandy, we are not in a position to invest more in this
house. We're working to pay off the debt we accumulated to get back in, and we can't
take on more debt to remediate flood exposure issues. Even if we could do the
work, could we be certain it will have a positive impact. Can we sell? With
these flood rates, can we find a buyer for the house? Maybe, if the buyer plans
to tear down and build the house high enough that they get the discount.
The reality is those of us in flood-exposed communities are
in a bad situation placed there by an insensitive, ignorant group of legislators
and a department that says its hands are tied, but is not lifting a finger to
help homeowners. We know we are not alone. Our insurance agent at Norman Heil Insurance Inc., Staten Island, told my wife that she is swamped with calls from people who can't afford to obtain the elevation certification, much less the insurance.
My wife is crying, because the government is destroying her
dream, and I'm sure she is not alone in shedding tears over these increases
that are unjustly striking middle America—destroying dreams and communities.
By Mark E. Ruquet
