Jersey Shore Magazine

Alsdorf recommends homeowners lift now instead of waiting, since they will be able to capitalize on the ICC portion of flood insurance. "ICC provides a $30,000. head start," Alsdorf said. F a l l / h o l i d a y 2 0 1 3 Helpful Links: FEMA Flood Zone Information: www.region2coastal.com Stop FEMA Now: www.stopfemanow.com • Tips to Remember Superstorm Sandy produced a rash of unscrupulous homebuilders and contractors looking to make a buck. There have been instances of homes in the process of being lifted that have crashed down and have been subsequently destroyed. Thus, before proceeding to lift your home, don't jump the gun—do some research to ensure that the contractor is reputable: • Call your township to get referrals. • Get a variety of estimates. • Obtain and check references. • Make sure the contractor is licensed and has Cargo/Riggers liability insurance. • Before proceeding, bring the estimate to your insurance agent to make sure they approve the quoted cost. So: to raise or not to raise? Unfortunately, there is no clear answer. It is up to the individual homeowner to determine what is best for them. As Kasimos stated, "We don't have all the answers yet, a year after Sandy. People want to move on." The uncertainty regarding FEMA's home raising regulations has lit a considerable fire under Kasimos. He devotes a large majority of his free time administrating Stop FEMA Now: fielding complaints, holding rallies, disseminating information, and above all, attempting to encourage politicians to change FEMA's flood maps. "I don't want more money. I want the governmental organizations— FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and HUD—to work smarter." As Kasimos stated, "It's all about politics, not about science." u s h o r e If You Decide to Raise… Whether homeowners decide to adhere to the advisory map or wait for the FIRM map, they still may need to raise their homes. How do they proceed? Unfortunately, there is no "one size fits all" approach to house elevation. The options for raising a home are unique and contingent upon a variety of factors, including the size, composition, and configuration of the home; the foundation type (slab, basement, crawlspace); and the zone in which it resides. FEMA provides a booklet entitled "Elevating Your House," which details possible methods according to one's home layout and location, available at: www.fema. gov/pdf/rebuild/mat/sec5.pdf. FEMA recommends homes be raised according to the required Flood Protection Elevation (FPE), which is one foot above Base Flood Elevation. To find your home's BFE and zone, use FEMA's "What Is My BFE" tool at: www.region2coastal.com/sandy/ table. Generally, homes in Zone V must be built on an "open foundation"— i.e., pilings/posts—and have the space below the first floor free of obstruction or have breakaway walls. Homes in Zone A have the option of being constructed on continuous foundation walls below the BFE. These walls must be equipped with openings to mitigate the impact of potential future floodwaters. What does home elevation cost? It can be as variable as the home itself. According to Alsdorf, "The average range to raise a home is between the low $40,000.'s to the mid-to-high $80,000.'s. However, it does depend on the house configuration." This extra expense for people who have already sunk thousands into their Sandy-damaged homes seems daunting. How can they pay for this? Unfortunately, the grant programs (HMGP and RREM) initiated to help homeowners pay for house elevation are no longer taking applications. The deadline to apply for a low-interest SBA loan has expired. This leaves homeowners with few options: ICC coverage and/or private construction loans. ICC coverage is available to NFIP policyholders. It provides up to $30,000. to homeowners to help offset the cost of raising their home. This is only available to those homes substantially damaged by flooding. To file a claim, homeowners should contact their flood insurance representative. Homeowners, take heed: once the claim is filed, you must proceed in elevating your home to FEMA specifications, or risk losing flood insurance. j e r s e y the flood map when "fifty percent of the dunes destroyed by Sandy are rebuilt to new standards by the Army Corps of Engineers," said Kasimos. If the dunes are rebuilt, it would mitigate the impact of flooding, thus "the maps could change again," Kasimos remarked. In March 2013, Sens. Lautenberg and Menendez wrote to FEMA Administrator Fugate urging the organization to revisit the ABFEs in light of dune reconstruction. In the letter, the senators wrote, "There is no question that this large investment in flood mitigation will have a significant impact on ABFE levels and flood zone determinations." Thus, the senators requested, "FEMA conduct an expedited study into how the Army Corps investments will impact the ABFE maps." The fifty billion dollar dune project had been stalled by bureaucracy and resistance: easements have to be signed; reports need to be drafted and approved; bids need to be accepted. According to Army Corps of Engineers official Jeff Gebert at September's Major Coastal Conference, the dune replenishment may start in 2014, but the project definitely will not be completed by then. This just adds to the frustration felt by homeowners. "FEMA is putting out the maps to 'help us,' but aren't pumping sand on the beaches," Kasimos said. "The Army Corps of Engineers already has the money for this. Why isn't it getting done? The sense of urgency is whittling away." 73

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