New flood insurance is too big a burden

There’s no way to sugarcoat this: The implementation of the new Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps last year simply wasn’t handled very well. The proof? The anger of Valley Stream homeowners, who said they were never notified of the changes, missed out on lower flood insurance rates and are now paying $1,800 a year or more in premiums.

When the new flood maps went into effect last September, many residents were prepared, having read about the changes, and purchased their first year of flood insurance for a reasonable $388. Those who hadn’t heard the news, and who still had mortgages on their homes, got an unpleasant surprise when their mortgage companies bought the insurance for them and sent bills with premiums nearly five times higher.

The new flood maps added thousands of homes in the Gibson area, and in Mill Brook, outside the village, to the high-risk flood zone. It has long been FEMA’s contention that in a major hurricane, the Atlantic Ocean could reach Sunrise Highway, and that the Green Acres Mall would be under 20 feet of water.

Insurance is all about life’s “what if?” situations. Many residents say they have never experienced a flood in their neighborhoods, and feel their inclusion in the flood zone is ludicrous. It’s not often that a major hurricane hits Long Island, but it’s not impossible, either.

We don’t believe that someone at FEMA simply sat down in front of a map of Nassau County, drew a squiggly line and pronounced that all homes on one side would be in the flood zone. The agency used high-tech equipment, sending up airplanes with lasers, to take elevation readings.

There are likely some inaccuracies — some people have already successfully challenged their homes’ inclusion in the flood zones — and we hope those will eventually be corrected. But the bigger problems are cost, and how the implementation of the new zones was handled.

First, the premiums are too high. Most people are paying more per year for flood insurance than they are for homeowner’s insurance. Yet flood insurance covers only structural damage to a home, while homeowner’s insurance also covers a family’s possessions. FEMA has established premiums that are simply unfair to middle-class homeowners, like the residents of Gibson and Mill Brook. And the agency has done it at a time when unemployment is high, salaries are stagnant and the housing market is not doing well, to put it mildly.

Many residents say the new flood zones were simply a federal fundraiser to pay for the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. We’re not quite that cynical, but we can see their point.

And too many people say they weren’t notified about the change. FEMA should have sent out letters to every homeowner who would be affected by the change, in advance, letting them know about lower rates. The agency had an obligation to let people know about something that would have a major impact on their wallets.

Last week, many Gibson residents came to Village Hall and told the village Board of Trustees that it should have been more proactive and sent out letters to affected residents. The village responded that hundreds of laws are passed each year that affect people, and it can’t send out letters every time. But perhaps this situation would have been a worthwhile exception because of the financial impact on residents, especially once it became apparent that FEMA was going to drop the ball.

But on the list of those to blame, the village is far from the top. It has nothing to gain by residents paying more for flood insurance. In fact, it has more to lose if this financial burden is the breaking point for some people and their homes go into foreclosure. Blaming the village, because it’s the closest layer of government, is just an easy way out.

A better idea is for residents to continue to urge village officials to put pressure on federal officials. A law that recently passed in the House of Representatives could bring relief to homeowners if it makes it through the Senate. We hope village officials will push Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both up for re-election this year, to make sure the Flood Insurance Reform Priorities Act becomes law.

The bill would delay implementation of the updated flood maps for five years. Since many homeowners have already paid for a year of flood insurance, this would give them four years to learn more about the new maps and save money for future coverage. In that time, we hope FEMA comes up with more reasonable rates and reviews its maps to ensure that those who are in a flood zone are truly at risk of storm surge flooding.

Gibson residents have come together to fight against something they believe is wrong. It’s bracing to see such a high level of citizen involvement. They should continue collecting signatures, putting pressure on federal officials and ensuring that their voices are heard. So far, it seems to be working.