Schumer Wants Flood Insurance Crackdown With Sandy Victims Still In Limbo
LINDENHURST, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - While a lot of people are dealing with the aftermath of the blizzard, there are some who are still dealing with the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, which hit more than three months ago.
The walls in Don Werle's home in Lindenhurst have been stripped to the studs and the floors are plywood. He had four feet of water in his home.
107 days after Sandy hit, he's stuck.
Schumer Wants Flood Insurance Crackdown With Sandy Victims Still In Limbo
"I just don't have the money to pay for any more repairs," he told WCBS 880 reporter Peter Haskell on Monday.
He needs the money from his flood insurance policy, but the administering company, Colonial Claims of Florida, won't even provide an estimate of the damage.
"How could it take 108 days, 107 days for these people to come up with a number?" he lamented. "What is the delay in the claims?"
Schumer Wants Flood Insurance Crackdown With Sandy Victims Still In Limbo
The program is run through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Sen. Charles Schumer wants to see the agency crack down.
"FEMA should first penalize them by deducting some money from their fees and then if the problem continues tell them they are going to be cut off and can't write flood insurance again," Schumer said.
Nearly 50 percent of flood insurance claims have yet to be paid.
