Solutions

A Broke, and Broken, Flood Insurance Program

Photo: David Clutter in front of his home in Long Beach, N.Y. After Hurricane Sandy, he had to take out a third mortgage to repair the foundation because the National Flood Insurance Program denied his claim. Greg Miller for The New York Times

In August, when Hurricane Harvey was bearing down on Texas, David Clutter was in court, trying one more time to make his insurer pay his flood claim — from Hurricane Sandy, five years before. Mr. Clutter’s insurer is the federal government. As it resists his claims, he has been forced to take out a third mortgage on his house in Long Beach, N.Y., to pay for repairs to make it habitable for his wife and three children.

He owes more than the house is worth, and his flood-insurance premiums just went up. The government-run National Flood Insurance Program is, for now, virtually the only source of flood insurance for more than five million households in the United States.

By The New York Times | Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency. Note: Paid flood loss claims for 2017 are estimated.

This hurricane season, as tens of thousands of Americans seek compensation for storm-inflicted water damage, they face a problem: The flood insurance program is broke and broken. The program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been in the red since Hurricane Katrina flooded New […]

Summary
Article Name
A Broke, and Broken, Flood Insurance Program
Description
Hurricane Harvey was aiming at Texas, but David Clutter was in court trying to make his flood insurance pay his claim from Hurricane Sandy - 5 years before.
Author
Publisher Name
The New York Times
Publisher Logo

Recent Posts

Hawaiʻi’s Corals Were Struggling To Survive. Then Came The Mud Floods

Coral reefs already face a litany of threats. Experts say storm runoff from the recent…

1 month ago

What’s Eating Iowa?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xqa0B9r7Y8 Iowa water: Pulitzer Prize winner Art Cullen and award-winning cinematographer Jerry Risius have teamed…

5 months ago

Invisible Threats: Understanding Water Contaminants in the U.S.

Clean water is essential for life, yet millions of Americans unknowingly consume contaminants through their…

1 year ago

High levels of microplastics in human brains appear to be increasing

Human brains contain higher concentrations of microplastics than other organs, according to a new study, and the…

1 year ago

California: executive order to help capture and store more water from severe storms

From the Office of the Governor: In anticipation of a multi-day, significant atmospheric river in Northern California,…

1 year ago

Experts give the real facts on California water

From Governor Newsom: Scientists, water managers, state leaders, and experts throughout the state are calling…

1 year ago