By Jonathan D. Salant, Star Ledger Staff --
 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced a new program to help victims of Hurricane Sandy and other participants in the National Flood Insurance Program.

An interim office will begin operating Dec. 22 until the agency can fulfill its congressional mandate to set up a permanent Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate. The independent office will report directly to top FEMA officials.

David Stearrett will be the acting flood insurance advocate and he will be assisted by FEMA employees temporarily detailed from other offices until funds are available to set up a permanent department.

“Floods are the most common disaster affecting communities in America,” said David Miller, associate administrator for the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration. “As someone who has worked tirelessly on behalf of policyholders for many years, I know Mr. Stearrett will fight each day to ensure that policyholders have the information they need to navigate the flood insurance process and ensure any concerns are addressed.”

Once the office begins operating, the acting advocate will be able to be reached at insurance-advocate@fema.dhs.gov, with a phone number to be set up next month.

Today's action is the latest effort by FEMA to address complaints from homeowners and members of Congress over the way Sandy damage claims have been handled by insurers.

“FEMA’s establishment of the flood insurance advocate is long overdue and desperately needed," said Rep, Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.) “It’s why we passed legislation specifically calling for a FEMA advocate. Regrettably, in assisting my constituents with NFIP casework, it is clear that the program has not met the minimum standards for treating policyholders—i.e. Sandy victims—in a fair, equitable, and timely manner.”

FEMA said earlier this month that it would make an advocate available to help policyholders file claims and appeals.

The agency also said at the time that it would consider appeals from homeowners whose damage claims were initially denied because they missed a filing deadline, to take action to ensure that insurance companies face the same penalties for approving underpayments of claims as they do for overpayments, and to require companies to release engineering reports they rely on to determine how much they will pay for damages.

The issues were brought to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate at a Dec. 3 meeting by Democratic U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker of New Jersey and Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

At a press conference Wednesday to highlight a tax break for Sandy victims who sold their damaged houses to the state for less than they owed on their mortgages, Booker said that there was more work to be done to help Sandy victims.

"We have a lot more challenges to meet," he said.

Article originally published at:
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/12/after_hurricane_sandy_fema_to_set_up_office_to_help_flood_victims.html