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Smith, NJ Delegation Continue to Press for Transparency, Reform at NFIP

speaking-285x200WASHINGTON, DC – At a Capitol Hill meeting hosted Oct. 7 by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Dean of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation, with Roy Wright, Deputy Associate Administrator for Insurance and Mitigation at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a bipartisan group of NJ Members of Congress continued to press for equitable relief for… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: October 11th, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Chris Smith, FEMA, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News | Tags: , , , , | Comments Off on Smith, NJ Delegation Continue to Press for Transparency, Reform at NFIP

Sandy-related contractor complaints piling up | Di Ionno

IMG_3871 (640x427)Weeds now envelop the pile of broken concrete slab where Nancy Wirtz’s home once stood. A swing set, bowed and rusted from neglect, is the only remnant of the place where she raised two children. It was a simple house, like most in the Forked River Beach section of Lacey Township. Compact and rectangular, it was… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: July 12th, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County News, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sandy-related contractor complaints piling up | Di Ionno

Will Sandy recovery help or hurt Christie? | Di Ionno

Today, Jon Bon Jovi is hosting a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in his French Chateau overlooking the Navesink River. It’s a mile from Jyll Jakes’ neighborhood in Sea Bright, where every other house remains boarded up. “It’s a still mess down here. I think people have forgotten how bad it is,” said Jakes, who credits… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: June 29th, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: 2016 Presidential Politics, Chris Christie, FEMA, Flooding, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Federal Flood Insurance Reformer Quits

IMG_3871 (640x427)Brad J. Kieserman, the federal official assigned to reform the National Flood Insurance Plan and to re-open thousands of Superstorm Sandy related claims amid allegations that thousands of homeowners were short changed, has resigned his post in order to take a job at the Red Cross, according to a report on Newsday.

A 28 year employee of the federal government, Kieserman took on the reform of NFIP only 3 months ago in February. FEMA annouced four months ago that it would settle every disputed case but only about a dozen checks have been issued.

Appearing in Hoboken last week with U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, as well as Highlands residents Kerry and Jamie Gowan who where representing the 70,000 New Jersey residents with claims to be reviewed by FEMA, Kieserman pledged that the government would do better in the tasks of “people caring for people.”

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Posted: June 2nd, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County News, New Jersey, RREM, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Millions, including Sandy victims, facing hikes in flood insurance premiums

assetContent (4)MINEOLA, N.Y. — A $24 billion sea of red ink has millions of Americans in vulnerable flood zones, including homeowners still struggling to recover from Hurricane Sandy, facing steep increases in flood insurance premiums. New legislation that went into effect this month — the second time in two years Congress has tweaked the troubled National Flood… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: April 12th, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: FEMA, Flood Maps, Flooding, Hurricane Sandy, National Flood Insurance Plan, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Millions, including Sandy victims, facing hikes in flood insurance premiums

Smith to Host NJ Congressional Delegation Briefing to Address Underpayments to Sandy Victims

Calls on Federal Flood Insurance Program head to work with Jersey Delegation to establish retrospective claims process

Congressman Chris Smith and Monmouth County Shaun Golden prepare to survey Hurricane Sandy damage. November, 2012

Congressman Chris Smith and Monmouth County Shaun Golden prepare to survey Hurricane Sandy damage. November, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Dean of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation, announced today that he will be hosting a meeting with Brad Kieserman, Deputy Associate Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which oversees the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), in order to establish a new, workable process for revisiting and resolving all flood insurance claims brought by Sandy-affected homeowners. Kieserman agreed to the meeting to which Smith will invite the entire NJ congressional delegation.

“After a lengthy and productive phone conference with Mr. Kieserman, I look forward to hosting the meeting with the NJ delegation and getting to the bottom of these widespread and outrageous practices that are defrauding and cheating NJ Sandy victims, who are federal flood insurance policy holders,” Smith said. “I am pleased that FEMA has agreed with my and others’ request to review any and all potential underpayments to Sandy victims. We can now work together to establish a new, credible process moving forward.

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Posted: March 6th, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Chris Smith, FEMA, Press Release | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Seeking FEMA Money For ‘The Full Universe Of Victims’

assetContent (51)New Jersey’s two U.S. senators say the number of Hurricane Sandy cases currently in federal court doesn’t begin to represent all the victims harmed by the government’s “unfair” process to recover insurance claims after the storm. Those victims, lawmakers say, are entitled to FEMA settlements. On Friday, Democratic Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker wrote to… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted: March 1st, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Bob Menendez, Cory Booker, FEMA, Flooding, Hurricane Sandy, National Flood Insurance Plan, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Seeking FEMA Money For ‘The Full Universe Of Victims’

Explainer: Why Many Sandy Victims Are Frustrated With Their Insurance Companies

2156Of the nearly 75,000 flood-insurance claims that New Jersey homeowners filed in the aftermath of Sandy, FEMA says that the National Flood Insurance Program had paid 58,055 policyholders a total of $3.9 billion as of early last month. But 6,532 claims were rejected and closed without payment, and throughout the region, some 1,500 cases remain bogged… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: January 20th, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, National Flood Insurance Plan, New Jersey, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Buyer’s remorse: Loans impacting grant money for Sandy victims

assetContent (15)NEW YORK (AP) — When Superstorm Sandy left Denise Erickson’s home with a collapsed foundation, a loan from the Small Business Administration looked like the best deal in town. She got more than $150,000 from the SBA to help fix her family’s Bellmore home, but the loan has left her with a $651 monthly payment and… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: December 15th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Monmouth County, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

FEMA Responds to Complaints From Sandy Victims, Agreeing to Consider Reforms

2025Months of pressure from storm survivors and lawmakers in New Jersey and New York culminated Friday with the Federal Emergency Management Agency committing to reform key parts of the National Flood Insurance Program. The program covers more than five-and-a-half million policyholders across the country, and it’s been an important part of the Sandy recovery, paying out… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: December 9th, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: FEMA, Hurricane Sandy, Superstorm Sandy | Tags: , , , , | Comments Off on FEMA Responds to Complaints From Sandy Victims, Agreeing to Consider Reforms