City Fights Feds Over Flood Insurance

[steven]

Marge Goulet lives approximately six houses away from the banks of the Cazenovia Creek near South Legion Drive.

Not once in the past 16 years has she experienced any kind of issue concerning flooding.

Yet every year, the federal government forces Marge and approximately 2,742 homeowners in Kaisertown and South Buffalo to purchase extra flood insurance, because they are located within a FEMA designated floodplain.

"Every year when I write the check for the flood insurance, I think, 'what am I paying for?'" It's really unfair. If you want to move, the first thing people look at, and you have to explain that there is flood insurance, that's part of the bargain, they won't buy your house. They won't even consider it," said Goulet.

People living within the floodplain pay an estimated $600-$1,200 a year for flood insurance. And people cannot receive benefits from a claim unless water comes in through the first floor windows or doors.

Lovejoy District Councilman Rich Fontana says, "These homes are four feet above grade. It's not going to happen. And these people are being ripped off and taxed by the FEMA department."

2 On Your Side's Stefan Mychajliw asks, "It seems as though there would have to be a catastrophic flood similar to Noah's Ark for this to happen?"

Fontana: "There really would have to be such a flood."

According to a study from the Army Corp of Engineers, Cazenovia Creek can maintain a flow of 20,000 cfs before flooding. The highest flow ever recorded at 1955 carried an estimated 13,500 cfs.

Mychajliw: "It sounds like a scam, because water would have to go through someone's first floor window in order for someone to collect."

Kearns: "It's not flood insurance, it's basically a flood tax. I haven't found one person who has been able to collect on basic flood insurance."

Fontana: "We're trying to change it from mandatory to optional. If people want to buy flood insurance, that's fine. We're not telling people not to get flood insurance. But why should they pay 600, 700-dollars a year on flood insurance that they're not going to collect on."

Mychajliw: "What can be done to help these people?"

Fontana: "It has to come from the federal government. It has to come from FEMA."

Congressman Brian Higgins did write to FEMA, asking the agency to remove the City of Buffalo from the designated floodplain.

A FEMA representative wrote back, stating the agency would consider the request, and asked for as much documentation as possible to back up the position to remove South Buffalo and Kaisertown and South Buffalo from the floodplain.

That's one of the reasons why Council members Kearns and Fontana conducted an extensive study on the floodplain, and the people who are paying for extra insurance.

The survey is finished, and results will be released to the public and FEMA in the next few weeks.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_articl...?storyid=46428

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Marge Goulet lives approximately six houses away from the banks of the Cazenovia Creek near South Legion Drive.

Not once in the past 16 years has she experienced any kind of issue concerning flooding.

Yet every year, the federal government forces Marge and approximately 2,742 homeowners in Kaisertown and South Buffalo to purchase extra flood insurance, because they are located within a FEMA designated floodplain.

"Every year when I write the check for the flood insurance, I think, 'what am I paying for?'" It's really unfair. If you want to move, the first thing people look at, and you have to explain that there is flood insurance, that's part of the bargain, they won't buy your house. They won't even consider it," said Goulet.

People living within the floodplain pay an estimated $600-$1,200 a year for flood insurance. And people cannot receive benefits from a claim unless water comes in through the first floor windows or doors.

Lovejoy District Councilman Rich Fontana says, "These homes are four feet above grade. It's not going to happen. And these people are being ripped off and taxed by the FEMA department."

2 On Your Side's Stefan Mychajliw asks, "It seems as though there would have to be a catastrophic flood similar to Noah's Ark for this to happen?"

Fontana: "There really would have to be such a flood."

According to a study from the Army Corp of Engineers, Cazenovia Creek can maintain a flow of 20,000 cfs before flooding. The highest flow ever recorded at 1955 carried an estimated 13,500 cfs.

Mychajliw: "It sounds like a scam, because water would have to go through someone's first floor window in order for someone to collect."

Kearns: "It's not flood insurance, it's basically a flood tax. I haven't found one person who has been able to collect on basic flood insurance."

Fontana: "We're trying to change it from mandatory to optional. If people want to buy flood insurance, that's fine. We're not telling people not to get flood insurance. But why should they pay 600, 700-dollars a year on flood insurance that they're not going to collect on."

Mychajliw: "What can be done to help these people?"

Fontana: "It has to come from the federal government. It has to come from FEMA."

Congressman Brian Higgins did write to FEMA, asking the agency to remove the City of Buffalo from the designated floodplain.

A FEMA representative wrote back, stating the agency would consider the request, and asked for as much documentation as possible to back up the position to remove South Buffalo and Kaisertown and South Buffalo from the floodplain.

That's one of the reasons why Council members Kearns and Fontana conducted an extensive study on the floodplain, and the people who are paying for extra insurance.

The survey is finished, and results will be released to the public and FEMA in the next few weeks.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_articl...?storyid=46428

Interesting post. What I am curious about is why now? How long have they been forced to pay for this? This is a little over 1.6 million a year being spent on the low end. If this has been going on for 20 years, that is almost 33million.

That money could have gone into shops on Seneca keeping them open. That money could have gone into home repairs. That money could have gone into the economy.

Why is this an issue now?

[steven]

Its always been an issue for me, at least since I bought my home.

I didnt understand the flood insurance thing at all and was told basically what this article states.

Its a stupid law but you have to comply

[4248]

Welcome to our nightmare, Lancaster and other areas have been forced for many many years to do the same. To compound that problem , our Town Leaders and developers keep approving and building in or on wetlands and flood plains.

Let us know if you make any head way on this issue - we havent and our Town Board seems to be unwilling to try and help.

[MoreOfTheSame]

Well, on a related note: Why is there government subsidized flood insurance? Why should taxpayers have to bail out (no pun intended) people multiple times who choose to live on flood planes, especially those who continuously purchase or rebuild expensive houses?

Why are they rebuilding New Orleans? Why not just relocate everybody and call it a day? Given enough time it will happen again.