Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ease the burden on Florida families still recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
In the aftermath of the storms, Moody’s office says strict regulations by the National Flood Insurance Plan are preventing many families from rebuilding or repairing homes.
Moody is requesting the federal government ease these regulations and consider making variances available to help Floridians rebuild.
“Florida was recently devastated by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, leaving some Floridians with only debris in the places where homes once stood,” Moody said. “While the recovery process has begun, burdensome regulations are making it so people cannot afford to repair damage and could force them to leave the communities they love.
“I’m calling on FEMA to ease the burden on these families who are struggling to rebuild on limited budgets.”
Moody sent a letter December 16 to Acting Federal Insurance Assistant Administrator Jeffery Jackson.
In the letter, Moody says a disturbing issue “has come to light” as the rebuilding process continues in Florida.
“Many homes affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton are participants in the National Flood Insurance Plan (NFIP), which is administered by FEMA,” she wrote in the letter. “According to multiple reports, NFIP regulations are preventing many of these homes from being rebuilt or repaired. According to NFIP regulations, homes that need ‘substantial improvements’ must be rebuilt to specific flood-resistant building code standards …
“Essentially, this means that if a citizen has any damage to their home that would cost half the pre-storm value of their home to be repaired, no other work on the home can be performed without updating the entire home to NFIP’s specifications. …
“While it is preferable for any home to be built to the most current standards, many of those suffering most from the storms lived in older homes in low-income areas and do not have the resources to fundamentally rebuild their homes. … In circumstances like this, many people will simply abandon their home and, possibly, have no choice but to leave the community they love altogether.”
The letter uses an example of a $200,000 older home that needs $100,000 in repairs while the cost to build the home up to modern standards is $200,000.
“In that circumstance, NFIP’s regulations prevent the person from collecting insurance to make the $100,000 in repairs unless the person can come up with most or all of the additional $100,000 using his or her own funds,” the letter states. “In circumstances like this, many people will simply abandon their home and, possibly, have no choice but to leave the community they love altogether.”
Moody also says officials understand the purpose of the regulations, but she says “too great a cost is being borne by those who have suffered most.”
“While the regulations contemplate a process for exemptions – called variances – anecdotal accounts indicate that this process is at best burdensome and at worst impossible,” the letter continues. “While the variance process is implemented by local governments, it is overseen by FEMA. FEMA may ‘review a community’s findings justifying the granting of variances, and if that review indicates a pattern inconsistent with the objectives of sound floodplain management, FEMA may take appropriate action’ including the suspension of the entire NFIP program within the area.”
In the letter, Moody asks FEMA to consider making variances available in more circumstances and increase the money available to bring homes up to FEMA’s NFIP standards.
“Our citizens are struggling to rebuild their homes on limited budgets, and no one should be homeless for the holidays,” Moody wrote.