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Mostly Cloudy McCarthy: flood map relief a priority
Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy was the guest speaker at the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce meeting on April 16 and she addressed an issue important to many local residents, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood maps.
In September 2009, new maps went into effect that put much of the southern section of Valley Stream into the high-risk flood zone. Homeowners with a federally backed mortgage were required to get flood insurance, and many people faced annual premiums exceeding $2,000.
McCarthy noted that last year, the House of Representatives passed a flood map reform act that would have given some relief to homeowners, but the bill has not been acted on in the Senate. “It’s not something I’m going to give up because it affects too many people,” McCarthy said. “It’s been a real issue, there’s no two ways about that.”
She said she believes the maps that were enacted in 2009 are flawed, largely because there was no specific study done of Nassau County’s coastal areas. She said some new testing is being done but those results are still likely months away.
In the meantime, she said, it’s not fair to residents who might not belong in a high-risk flood zone but are still paying premiums.
A two-year moratorium went into effect last year. Homeowners could renew their policies in 2011 and 2012 for the Prefered Risk Policy rate of about $400 per year. If the moratorium isn’t extended, residents will be back to the old four-figure rates when they renew their insurance in 2013.
Village Trustee Virginia Clavin-Higgins asked McCarthy to make an extension of the moratorium a priority. “It’s an ongoing concern down in the Gibson area,” she said.
Clavin-Higgins noted that the higher rates will also affect small businesses in the community, as residents will have less money to spend in the village if they are paying a lot for flood insurance.
McCarthy said that she is all for extending the moratorium. She said her staff in both her district and Washington offices are continuing to work on the issue.
