New Flood Insurance Regulations

The federal government has informed property owners in more than 150 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties about the new requirement. Most live near rivers and creeks, below dams or in low- lying areas that are at greater risk of flooding than previously believed, according to maps developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Premiums range from $500 to more than $1,700 a year. Insurance is mandatory for anyone with a federally backed mortgage, and lenders will typically buy policies, sometimes at a higher cost, for property owners who fail to do so on their own. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac own or guarantee more than half of all U.S. mortgages.

Angry homeowners in several parts of Southern California dispute the new maps and have formed groups to challenge them.

In some cases, local governments are paying for studies to challenge FEMA’s maps, and in a few cases, the agency has backed down.

The new maps are part of a nationwide effort that FEMA began in 2003 to better identify properties that could flood in a so-called 100-year storm — the type of deluge that FEMA calculates has a 1% likelihood of occurring in any given year. In much of the country, the redrawn maps greatly increase the number of homes included in flood zones.

Property owners in some areas, including parts of South Los Angeles, have already started paying higher premiums. Homeowners elsewhere in the region expect the new mandate to take effect early this year.

Nada P. of South Los Angeles is one of many homeowners who have dug into their own pockets to show that their properties don’t belong on FEMA’s list.

Nada, 55, won her argument with the agency after paying $1,400 to a surveyor. She says she has lived in her 2nd Avenue home her whole life and has never seen anything more than street flooding. She doesn’t live near a river or a creek, and the ocean is more than 10 miles away.

“Why would I pay this money for a claim I’m never going to make?” Mrs. Nada said. “It’s ludicrous. You are trying to keep a shelter over your head and trying to take care of the necessities of life.



Let us help you navigate  the insurance process and deal with the stress and hassle.
West Coast Restoration works with all Leading Insurance Carriers and will get your claim handled
professionally and quickly  Call Today  800-949-2044