FEMA’s Flood Maps in most cases are several years if not decades old. By law they required to be updated every 5 years.

The NFIP calculates risk, flood insurance premiums and building requirements on these flood maps.

Trying to predict future storms and flooding is a difficult endeavor. But trying to predict future flooding from decades old maps is a recipe for massive mistakes.

We can see the mistakes by; seeing the large amount of SRL (Severe Repetitive Loss) properties, RL (Repetitive Loss) properties and the fact that 70-80% of homes that flood are not situated in a 1 in 100 year flood plain (SFHA – Special Flood Hazard Area).

We can see the mistakes because the NFIP is 24 Billion dollars in the red.

We can complain, but what are the solutions?

Congress must immediately fund the remapping of the whole country. And continue the funding for future mapping to comply with FEMA rules of updating the Flood Maps every 5 years.

If our premiums are based on outdated maps, then our premiums will be outdated.

Furthermore the mandatory requirement to purchase flood insurance should be expanded from the 1 in 100 year storm to a 1 in 500 year storm level. We need to follow the Dutch, they plan their mitigation projects to 1 in 10,000 year storm levels. The Dutch have not flooded in over 50 years. We should follow their lead.

To further prove our point, Houston had 3 quantity 1 in 500 year storms…. three years in a row. It doesn’t matter if the flooding is coming from sea level rise, rain events, overbuilding, lack of flood plain management or a combination of all of them. The NFIP policyholders, by paying higher premiums, and the U.S. government eventually bail out homeowners who are not in the flood plain.

If you have Flooding / Flood Insurance / Flood Rebuilding issues please join us at www.facebook.com/groups/stopfemanownj or www.stopfemanow.com

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BERKELEY: Mayor Amato has good news for the nearly 2,700 homeowners who have flood insurance policies in Berkeley Township. Your flood insurance premiums are coming down another 5% bringing the total discount to 25% 

“We are extremely proud of our ongoing efforts to improve our (CRS) rating to bring additional relief to our flood insurance policy holders. This is the second time we have improved our rating over the last 8 years.” Mayor Amato said. 

Berkeley Township participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).

The Community Rating System is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages Communities To engage in proactive  floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.

As a result, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions in meeting the goals of the Community Rating System. 

For more info click here: https://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program-community-rating-system

Mayor Amato said  “Berkeley’s Community Rating under the National Flood Insurance Program in Berkeley Township will improve to a class 5 rating. A class 5 rating will increase the discount another 5% bringing the total discount to 25%  in flood premiums come May 1st, 2020. This is the second reduction my administration has earned.” Mayor Amato said. 

Mayor Amato said  “I want to thank Remington & Vernick Engineers our Certified Floodplain Managers for assisting the Township during this process along with the Township Council,  who have been very supportive in adopting and revising Ordinances to comply with the (NFIP).  

“This discount for our flood policy holders couldn’t come at a better time, as Congress is still grappling with the Reauthorization of the (NFIP). Mayor Amato said. 

 The mayor said the average Berkeley Township flood policy holders total discount, will now average $189. Overall, the nearly 2,700 policy holders will receive nearly $500,000 discount. 

“I encourage all flood policy holders to contact their insurance broker to let them know of this change, so they can get benefit with a reduction in flood premiums. Mayor Amato said. 

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FEMA offered Ocean County municipalities the option to adopt preliminary flood maps now or wait for a draft of the FIRM Maps in 2022.

George Kasimos spoke to  Mayor “Mo” Hill for a comment on the preliminary map adoption which would have added over 600 homes into the flood zone.  

Mayor Hill stated  Toms River will not be adopting the 2015 Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map for Ocean County.  

Toms River will be waiting for the NYC Flood Map appeal to be completed and a draft of  FIRM Maps to see how it will affect the residents of Toms River.  Appropriate action will be taken afterwards.  

Mayor Hill, who attended the Army Corp of Engineers Mitigation Meeting last year, stated he expected flood premiums to be lowered once  the protection of the Dune System is take into account with the draft of the FIRM Maps.

Note:  Toms River was the most severely impacted city in NJ with 2.4 Billion dollars in lost ratables as a result of Superstorm SANDY.

Read FEMA’s offer here;

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FEMA offered Ocean County municipalities the option to adopt preliminary flood maps.

We reached out to Brick, NJ  Mayor Ducey for a comment on the preliminary map adoption which would have added over 1,300 homes into the flood zone.  

Mayor Ducey stated  “Brick is officially not adopting the 2015 Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Map for Ocean County.  We will continue to use the 2006 maps to regulate flood plain management for our town.  

Brick township has not spent any outside funding on appeal of the Preliminary Flood Maps.  Both rounds of appeals were completed in-house.  These appeals were completed in 2014 and 2015.  Both were successful in having properties mapped as V-Zones reevaluated and corrected to A-Zones.  

Since the NYC appeal has resulted in the entire region being remapped again, it would be a waste of time and resources to appeal the 2015 preliminary map any further at this time because it is a map that we know is going to change.”

Note:  Brick, NJ  has the most waterfront acreage than any city in NJ.

Read FEMA’s offer here;

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The City of Charleston does not require “Substantially Damaged” determinations after flooding, does not inspect homes after flooding and allows homes to be built below the BFE (Base Flood Elevation) in Flood Zones.

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The City of Charleston provides a sweetheart deal to the developers and provides a “variance” for the properties that are built below the BFE.

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Shortly thereafter these homes flood. Many of them repetitively flood. The flood policyholders in the National Flood Insurance program have to pick up the bill.  (SRL and RL properties have cost the NFIP over 12 Billion in flood claims).

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Another problem found by the fraud investigation started by @Ana Zimmerman , Phd, when a home floods, the city of Charleston does not require permits to rebuild. The city of Charleston also does not provide a “Substantially Damaged” determination after a home floods.  Homes are patched together, resold to other unsuspecting homeowners and the home floods again…… repeat.

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Another problem found by Ana Zimmerman was that up until 2017 Charleston NEVER issued a substantially damaged determination on any property!  Ana basically had to file a lawsuit to have her home deemed substantially damaged so her home, which is in foreclosure, will not be flipped to another unsuspecting home buyer. (Her home had flooded 5 times previous to her buyer her home.   This information was never disclosed to her!   Shortly after purchasing her home it flooded an additional 2 more times.  We find it impossible that a community that floods so regularly, https://www.postandcourier.com/news/downtown-charleston-broke-record-for-flooded-days-last-year-rain/article_266c0424-4b9d-11e7-959e-53ca41732680.html , that they completely ignored protecting homeowners by not inspecting homes and providing Substantial Damaged determinations after a flood.

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So many unsuspecting homeowners bought homes that were Substantially Damaged and were Severe Repetitive Loss properties. On top of that many of these hastily rebuilt homes, that never required inspections, had mold and Ana’s child contacted a respiratory illness.

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Because of the Fraud Investigation started by @Ana Zimmerman over 2,100 previously flood homes will now have to disclose that they have been flooded.

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Because of the Fraud investigation the city of Charleston is reviewing 2,100 previously flooded homes. If they are determined to be Substantially Damaged / Substantially Improved they will need to be elevated.

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We find it unfair that communities across the country are required to abide by the Substantially Damaged regulation, but some communities ignore this with regulation without ramification. 

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Furthermore we do not understand how the City of Charleston can be receiving any CRS discounts for their community.  Discounts are given to communities for complying with FEMA rules and mitigating future flooding in their community.

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After not following all these FEMA / NFIP regulations how does Charleston receive a 20% CRS discount when they act as follows;

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– Allowed New homes to be built 3 feet below the BFE.
– Does not require permits to rebuild flooded homes.
– Does not require “Substantially Damaged” determination after a flood.
– Had never provided a Substantially Damaged Determination until a lawsuit ensued in 2017.
– Allows “Fill and Build” development in flood zone communities, flooding adjacent developments that never flooded.  Causing man made flooding.

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If you have high flood insurance premiums, repetitive losses, required to elevate or other flood zone issues please join us at www.facebook.com/groups/stopfemanownj and www.StopFemaNow.com

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Read the full story here https://www.postandcourier.com/news/fraud-found-in-charleston-flooded-homes-case-but-builder-will/article_7ef8e89e-1c49-11ea-baec-dba627bba42c.html?fbclid=IwAR14HHxsRwIHI2jBPafDtmD2JQSe69WEDzeF7Sy2QFO4l2pym3EUx2fr4nI

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