59.0°,
Mostly Cloudy County steps up in flood map fight
Valley Stream residents want out of the high-risk flood zone. They made that known at a hearing in Mineola last Thursday night, chaired by Nassau County Legislator Fran Becker.
Becker, chairman of the Town, Villages and Cities Committee, said the purpose of the meeting was to inform elected officials at the federal level about the impact the flood-zone situation is having on homeowners. In September 2009, new flood maps were enacted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, adding much of Valley Stream to the high-risk flood zone and leaving residents with four-figure annual insurance premiums.
Heather Senti, a representative of the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management, said the department disagrees with the new maps and, like residents, believes there are many errors.
Senti did have some updates. A study has just been completed to design new flood maps for Queens, which could have an impact on the maps for western Nassau County based on a study of Jamaica Bay. Senti said that according to FEMA officials, the U.S. Geological Survey also conducted a study, which included flyovers of Nassau County in November and December using the “latest technology.”
Joining Becker and Senti at the front of the room was Gibson resident Carol Crupi, who has been leading the fight in Valley Stream against the flood maps. Crupi said that when the new maps went into effect, about 25,000 homes in Nassau County were added to the high-risk flood zone. Gibson alone had about 2,500 of those homes.
“The federal government is stealing from the American homeowner, and we have to stop them,” Crupi said.
Homes in the Gibson area, where flood insurance is a requirement for residents who have a federally backed mortgage, have lost significant value, “and that is only if you can sell your home,” she said.
Crupi called on county lawmakers to take reduced property values into account when doing assessments. If homeowners are going to have to pay high flood insurance premiums, she said, they should at least get a break on their taxes.
Representatives from Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, were also on hand. Kyle Strober, Schumer’s regional representative, said that the senator wants a new study done for Nassau County. “This is a top priority for the senator,” Strober said.
Shams Tarek, representing McCarthy, said she is a supporter of the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011. The bill, which has passed the House but not the Senate, would allow homeowners to pay their flood insurance bills in installments rather than in one lump sum. It also would phase in the higher insurance rates over five years. The current Preferred Risk Policy costs about $400 per year.
Becker said he had heard from numerous Valley Stream residents, who described the impact of the flood insurance premiums on their lives. Elizabeth Capone, a 20-year resident of Gordon Road in Gibson, said her house is up for sale because she cannot afford the insurance.
“I’m almost ready to walk away from my house,” Capone said, adding that it is with regret because “my area is a wonderful area to live in.”
An emotional Capone said that flood insurance premiums are destroying her middle-class neighborhood.
Robert Cinton criticized FEMA for trying to pay off its debt to the federal government on the backs of Valley Stream homeowners. “I can’t afford to bear the brunt of FEMA’s disaster,” he said. “Government is supposed to work for us.”
Alan Schaecter, of Gibson Boulevard, suggested that county officials and local municipalities get together and take FEMA to court. “This is outright fraud,” he said of the new maps. “We’ve been defrauded by FEMA. I think if a lawsuit was filed against them, they would back down.”
Becker said he liked Schaecter’s suggestion, and would take the idea back to the county attorney. He said that the purpose of the meeting was to generate ideas that could help Nassau County residents. “We’re going to pursue this,” Becker said.
Jack Schraf, of Valley Stream, said that people have worked their whole lives and saved money, only to have it taken away by the government. He said he has lived in Valley Stream for decades and has never seen a coastal flood.
That’s also what James Connerty, a 51-year-resident of Valley Stream, told Becker. “I’ve never seen a flood in all my years living here,” Connerty said.
Becker said he plans to provide transcripts of the March 8 meeting, which was attended by about 50 people, to federal representatives and any other elected officials who want a copy. He also said that he plans to hold more hearings on the issue, and hopes for a greater turnout next time. “We’re starting the fight here,” he said. “We’re going to continue the fight.”
