NEWJERSEY – Homeowners who would like their Hurricane Sandy claims reviewed by the National Flood Insurance Program only have until September 15, 2015 to get their claims filed, the federal government recently announced.
According to Structural Solutions, Inc., a company specializing in house raising in NJ, some property owners are still waiting on money to initiate or complete house lifts.
Tens of thousands of homeowners filed claims after the 2012 storm, which saw storm surges of up to 14 feet high, knocked out power in 15 states, caused an estimated $128 billion in damage, and took the lives of 285 people.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) quickly set up hotlines and devoted agents to handling the huge influx of flood claims that came its way following the devastating storm. And there were many.
However, there remain thousands who say they did not receive the full relief monies they were entitled to under their flood insurance policies.
Homeowners in that situation can ask for their case to be reviewed, according to Ron Ruman of the Pennsylvania state Insurance Department.
But the clock is ticking on when those requests for review can be filed.
“To be eligible to have this additional review, policyholders must request this review by September 15th of this year, so the deadline is approaching,” he told WITF in Pennsylvania. “The policyholder will get a call from a caseworker from the federal government to help guide them through the appeals process.”
To be eligible you must have filed a claim between October 27 and November 6th related to flood damage stemming from Hurricane Sandy.
The review process is expected to take up to 90 days. Federal officials offer no guarantees that claims will be adjusted, only that they will be reviewed.
However, according to Ruman, “Even after that, if the review’s done and the consumer is still not happy with the payment they have, then they can seek the review of a neutral third party.”
“For homeowners on or near the water, getting their houses lifted has proven to be an essential part of having peace of mind when it comes to flooding,” a local resident said. “A house lift not only gets them above flood levels, it often saves them a lot of money on flood insurance.”
He said that monies have been made available for some homeowners to help alleviate the cost of a house lift in New Jersey. Not all homeowners are prepared to navigate the maze of applications and red tape to secure those monies, though.
“We assist people with the application process,” a contractor said. “For some, a lift just wouldn’t be possible without getting some outside help. After Sandy, homeowners know they just can’t take that risk.”
For more information on National Flood Insurance Program claims, visit http://www.fema.gov/moving-forward-flood-insurance or call 1-866-377-4262.