Grassroots organization Stop FEMA Now held a recent meeting in Toms River to discuss the Federal Emergency Management Agency's new advisory base flood elevation maps and their implications for residents along New Jersey's coast.
Though the combination meet and great and rally ended early after being shut down by police because of safety concerns due to overcrowding of the meeting location, residents were able to share concerns and some answers regarding the flood maps.
www.cnn.com/.../tropical-weather-sandyOct 31, 212 – "We are not going to tolerate red tape, we are not going to tolerate bureaucracy,"...] Thank you Mr. President
FEMA inflicted more damage on the Shore than Superstorm Sandy!
www.stopfemanow.com
Building dunes and replenishing beaches would be CHEAPER and MORE EFFECTIVE than raising tens of thousands of homes for a few billion dollars. It's physically impossible to raise many homes, even if each owner had a spare $100,000 lying around. That, and the alternative of $30,000-a-year insurance premiums, would result in mass abandonment of the Shore. FEMA has created another multi-billion-dollar bungle! FEMA is expanding flood zones. Near rivers, lakes, bays, coast-to-coast, up to 25% of Americans will be in its bureaucratic jurisdiction -- with similar “overkill” rules and expenses -- unless we Stop FEMA Now. Facebook.com/StopFemaNow ==> Next meeting March 9th, 3 PM <== at a bigger site to accommodate the crowd. Bring a friend.
The most direct approach to limiting the damage FEMA can do is putting a cap on NFIP premiums of, say 0.6% of insured value, or $2100. This will not perpetuate irresponsible construction, as if and when cumulative damage reaches 50% of a property's value, it still must be rebuilt to new codes and standards, but at a time when the cost of compliance would be marginal during new construction, not a $50k expense imposed on every homeowner. If a home doesn't suffer substantial damage, there really isn't a reason to raise its premiums. And it wouldn't hurt to put some of the money saved on house-raising to solving the real problems of building robust dunes.
I hope FEMA comes in builds dunes, bills the elite and selfish to the breaking point. Even better yet Eminent Domain the entire barrier Island and make one big park. Charge admission like at Sandy Hook. As for the FEMA maps....leave them alone. As it stands right now they missed me by 2 blocks.
www.stopfemanow.com
"Gov. Cuomo said yesterday that 169 of 192 residents of Staten Island’s storm devastated Oakwood Beach have taken him up on his offer to buy out their Sandy-ravaged homes. "The people who live in the battered neighborhood have been enticed by a deal that will pay them 100 percent of their damaged home’s prestorm market value — plus 5 percent if the homeowners stay on Staten Island, Cuomo said. The feds will pick up 75 percent of the tab."