Latest News

FEMA Offers Lower Rates After Re-mapping

05/20/2010

Posted: May 20, 2010 11:29 PM EDT Thursday, May 20, 2010 11:29 PM EST Updated: May 20, 2010 11:31 PM EDT Thursday, May 20, 2010 11:31 PM EST
(KNOE 8 News) - As Louisiana prepares for hurricane season, FEMA continues it's process of re-mapping its coverage areas nation-wide.
 
When the maps are put into effect, many businesses and homeowners will have to pay for federal high-risk flood insurance if they fall outside of FEMA's protected zones.
 
But now, FEMA is offering discounts on the insurance policies.
 
Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) said this week that FEMA is offering sharply lower rates to businesses and homeowners for two years after new flood maps take effect.
 
As the leader of the "levee crusade" in Washington, Representative Rodney Alexander (R-Louisiana) said it's all just a money maker for the federal disaster team.
 
At a parish flood meeting in January, many Ouachita Parish homeowners realized they would have to purchase mandatory flood insurance because their homes are out of federal coverage zones.
 
Parish flood management said the time to buy those policies is now.
 
"Once the new maps go into effect, it'll be more expensive," Ouachita Parish Flood Plain Manager Lisa Richardson said.
 
This week, FEMA announced homeowners can still get low premium rates for two years after the maps go into effect.
Louisiana Congressman Rodney Alexander said FEMA is glossing over the bigger problem.
 
"If those flood maps are re-drawn as if the levees don't exist, then the premium would be left up to the imagination," Alexander said.
 
Alexander and other state representatives are trying to block FEMA re-mapping to allow time for damaged levees to be repaired.  If the maps go into effect before levees can be upgraded, many people will be forced to by the new insurance plans.
 
Alexander said FEMA is moving too fast because the agency is worried about money, rather than insurance policies.
 
"FEMA, in my opinion, is all about money," Alexander said, "and FEMA is trying to come up with a creative way of financing their operation."
 
Waiting would save money because it would give crews time to make repairs to problem levees, and save FEMA from doing a second large scale re-mapping.
 
That's an unnecessary burden for taxpayers.
 
"Go ahead and give us some more money now and avoid giving us more money later on,' and I don't think that's the appropriate way to do it," Alexander said.
 
Tensas Basin Levee District Committee President Harris Brown said Thursday afternoon that the Army Corps of Engineers will perform their large scale inspection of the Ouachita River levees in July.