Few Avenues for Relief
Homeowners and renters affected by storms have few avenues for relief. A typical homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover flooding. Flood insurance is often limited in scope, and only about 4 percent of homeowners nationwide have it, even though 90 percent of catastrophes in the U.S. involve flooding, according to the Insurance Institute of America.
Ms. Martin, in Mamaroneck, did have federally-backed flood insurance, but thus far, she said, she has recouped less than half of her $200,000 rebuilding costs. “The insurance was giving us quotes for materials that were half of what they really were,” she said.
A year later, her house has been restored, with blonde wood floors, a new kitchen with quartz countertops, a cheerful front door painted sage and a white picket fence. Ms. Martin has considered selling the house, but fears no one would buy it.
She moved the washer and dryer to the first floor and replaced the water heater with a tankless one, mounted high on the wall. She even considered raising the house, as neighbors nearby have done, but the estimates were over $150,000, and such upgrades are not covered by insurance.
Other homeowners are making similar calculations. Edward Mihelic, who started E & M Basement Waterproofing, in Bay Shore, Long Island, 43 years ago, said that before Hurricane Sandy, if a home had a sump pump and French drains, common waterproofing measures, “it was the kiss of death” because it signaled that a home was a flood risk at a time when people did not think the region faced a serious threat.
Now, Mr. Mihelic said of prospective buyers, “if you don’t have a sump pump and a French drain, they want to know why.”
He noted that no amount of waterproofing can prevent the devastation from an extreme flash flood or storm surge. “I don’t feel comfortable telling my customers that there is something I can do that can correct such a catastrophic event,” he said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nytimes.com
