FEMA: Sandy Reviews Will Be Considered Beyond Deadline

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it strongly encourages National Flood Insurance Program policyholders seeking Superstorm Sandy-related payment reviews to submit requests by Sept. 15, but will consider all submissions.

Agency spokesman Rafael Lemaitre told The Associated Press on Aug. 14 that the agency will consider requests even if they come in after the Sept. 15 deadline.

New Jersey’s congressional delegation sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate on Aug. 13 calling for a three-month extension. Republican Rep. Tom MacArthur didn’t sign the letter, but a spokeswoman says that was due to a “staff oversight” and MacArthur supports it.

In May, FEMA sent letters to some 142,000 NFIP policyholders who filed claims resulting from Sandy, offering them an opportunity to have their files reviewed. In June, FEMA set a Sept. 15, 2015 deadline for policyholders to request a review.

FEMA said that as of Aug. 14, approximately 10,000 policyholders have had their claims deemed eligible for a review and have entered the process, adding that the overall number of policyholders who asked FEMA for a review is a little higher than 10,000. Additional payments will be made to policyholders when warranted.

In addition, FEMA announced on Aug. 10 that some payments have begun to go out to policyholders taking part in the review.

“A handful of payments have already been made, and we hope that milestone in the process will encourage others to enter the claims review,” a FEMA spokesperson told Insurance Journal.

To be eligible for the review, policyholders must have experienced flood damage between Oct. 27, 2012 and Nov. 6, 2012 as a result of Sandy. FEMA said its claims review process is intended to be simple for policyholders and does not require paid legal assistance.