Why Did FEMA Make My Wife Cry?

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.