08 Sep Hurricane Irma Looming While Congress Struggles to Fix Flood Insurance

We have Hurricane Irma looming over Sanibel and Captiva, while Texans continue to recover from Hurricane Harvey. That storm’s record rainfall will funnel as many as 100,000 more flood insurance claims into a system that is set to expire Sept. 30 unless Congress — unable to agree for years on a long-term fix — can reach a compromise to keep it afloat.

Tom Bossert, President Trump’s homeland security adviser, said last week that the program has enough money to meet Harvey claims at least through late fall or winter, and he’s confident Congress will reauthorize it.

Past storm victims who filed insurance claims complained of being shortchanged and made to feel like criminals. But former federal officials said not having coverage is even worse because regular homeowner insurance doesn’t cover floods, and disaster aid is capped and means-tested.

Early estimates say only about 1 in 5 homes in the greater Houston area are covered by flood insurance, which could lead uninsured families wiped out by Harvey to abandon their properties or take on heavy debts.

“That’s really the unfolding disaster,” said Craig Fugate, who was administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Obama.

For all its faults, the National Flood Insurance Program, run by FEMA, offers coverage of up to $250,000 for structural damage and $100,000 for contents. While settling claims takes time, FEMA has authorized the release of advance payments of up to $10,000 for Harvey claims.

Key differences in Congress over the program center on whether private insurers should be able to take over more of the system, and what to do about the debt from responding to past disasters.

Lawmakers could approve a short-term renewal.

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