Hundreds of Isaac victims show up for legislative Insurance - Nola.com

"Without elevation (rebuilding is) like buying a new pair of shoes and then you go stand in the river. It doesn't make sense to me." -- resident

More than 200 St. John the Baptist Parish residents affected by Hurricane Isaac attended a state legislative Insurance Committee meeting in LaPlace on Wednesday to get answers about insurance concerns. Isaac, which came ashore Aug. 29, caused widespread flooding in St. John and required the emergency evacuation of about? 4,000 residents who were stranded in homes surrounded by rapidly rising water. Parish officials estimate more than 7,000 houses were damaged during the storm.

Members of the Senate and House Insurance Committee held a joint meeting at the St. John the Baptist Parish Community Center to discuss insurance issues related to Isaac and to hear residents' problems and questions.

"Our goal is to try and answer questions and let citizens know that we are there to assist them in their recovery efforts," said Sen. Gary Smith-D Norco, vice chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee.

It was a meeting punctuated by applause from those in the audience as fellow residents shared with the panel of legislators their trials in the post-Isaac landscape. Residents' groans expressed their disagreement or disgust with answers from federal government agencies, such as FEMA representatives.

"I feel very, very frustrated right now," said one woman, who said she has lived in the Cambridge subdivision for more than 30 years and is wondering why there are no grants for home elevations. "Without elevation (rebuilding is) like buying a new pair of shoes and then you go stand in the river. It doesn't make sense to me."

Sen. Troy Brown-D, Assumption said the federal government determines flood zones, which is a primary step in deciding whether an area should be considered for an elevation program. However, Brown said he and other elected officials were pushing to fast-track the construction of a hurricane protection levee for St. John so that elevation wouldn't be needed.

Many residents said they don't understand how insurance companies determined "substantial damage" and the seemingly capricious nature of adjusters in issuing advance checks for property damage to some people while in other cases, withholding money until homeowners provide contract estimates.

Debra Schum said she questioned the logical nature of the National Flood Insurance Program and the FEMA Disaster Assistance Program, two programs meant to help residents in recovery efforts.

Schum said she received an advance from the flood program to start repairs on her house, but the check was made out to her and her mortgage company. The mortgage company wouldn't release the money without having an adjuster's estimate, which wouldn't come for another 30 days, she said.

"Why couldn't the check be made out directly to me?" Schum asked. When FEMA gives disaster assistance the money goes directly to the individual, she said.

Smith, who represents the area and helped schedule the joint session, said the meeting grew out of the many calls and conversations he and other elected officials have had with residents about the insurance process.

Residents were asked to submit their questions and include contact information on cards that were collected by legislative staff members. Smith and other panel members promised the audience that their concerns would be addressed. "If we can't get the issues answered tonight, we will follow up," Smith said.

Source: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/10/hundreds_of_isaac_victims_show.html

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