6 The Courier sun • MAY 16, 2013 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com s sandy aftermath STAVE OFF THE FLOOD AMENDMENT KEEPS INSURANCE INCREASES AT BAY BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected] A new amendment will help Sandy victims avoid drowning in flood insurance premium increases—at least for several years to come. Senator Charles Schumer announced his support for an amendment to the Water Resources Development Act that delays increases for those with National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) coverage in communities affected by updated FEMA flood maps for five years. “I will strongly support this amendment that staves off massive, looming flood insurance hikes for homeowners, many of whom are dedicating every available penny to rebuilding,” he said. Following Sandy, FEMA decided to update the city’s flood maps. The changes, which are still under revision, will classify more neighborhoods as flood zones and bring about increases to insurance premiums Sandy didn’t stop Social Security BY MAGIE HAYES [email protected] Staff of the Rockaway Social Security Office have traveled the peninsula without a home base since Sandy destroyed their place of work. But after nearly seven months of both giving and receiving recovery assistance, the office is once again open for business. The night of the storm, John D’Agostino, the Rockaway Beach Boulevard branch manager, said he got a call from the federal police saying flood water had disrupted the alarm system and set it off. D’Agostino turned on his television and watched the destruction ensue, unable to do anything about it. “You could see our office on fire,” he said. “There was nothing we could do at that point.” A couple of days after the storm, D’Agostino and his staff went to see the damage. “Just driving down here, the streets were filled with debris,” he said. The group received federal aid and reconstruction started in January. The walls were stripped, wiring was redone and everything was replaced. “You can never foresee disasters like the one we’ve just gone through,” said Acting Commissioner of Social Security Carolyn Colvin. “But we always rise to the occasion. We’ve seen that demonstrated here.” While the office was out of commission, the Rockaway office’s 13 employees set up shop at FEMA sites and Assemblymember Michelle Titus’ office. Even though five of the Social Security staffers were displaced themselves, their work never stopped. “We knew the community needed Social Security,” said New York Regional Commissioner Bea Disman. In Titus’ office, the Social Security team was able to serve more than 1,000 people and work face-to-face with residents who were unable to make the trip to the closest office, in Jamaica. Colvin said Social Security’s restored Rockaway office is “phenomenal.” “The devastation here was unbelievable. But there was never a doubt we would reopen,” he said. THE COURIER/Photo by Maggie Hayes After nearly seven months of construction, the Rockaway SSA office is back open for business. there. In January, shortly after FEMA published the first of two phases of updated Advisory Base Flood Elevation maps, Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed an emergency executive order suspending height and other restrictions. The idea was to let buildings meet the new elevation standards and to mitigate costs of future flood insurance premium increases. As of press time, the amendment was awaiting a vote. FEDS APPROVE CITY $1.77B SANDY PLAN BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA AND MELISSA CHAN [email protected] Sandy money is moving further from the halls of Congress and closer to the doorsteps of victims with federal approval of the city’s $1.77 billion storm recovery plan last week. “This is an important day in the recovery process for families and small businesses who were devastated by Sandy,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “These critical federal funds will help families get back on their feet and help hard hit communities rebuild stronger and smarter.” The majority of the funds, $648 million, will be allocated toward housing recovery programs. The rest of the budget will repair infrastructure and aid businesses with damages and lost sales. “With the federal approval now in place, we’re going to see that this relief money starts flowing to home and business owners as soon as possible,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Still, it may flow faster to some than others. “We’re thrilled that it has been passed,” said Community Board 14 Chair Dolores Orr. “But it’s certainly not enough money quick enough.” A total of $306 million in housing recovery funds will cover reconstruction for one- and twofamily homes. But according to Orr, the money will only be available to owners with damage worth 50 percent the value of the home during the first phase of the housing relief program. Further details on the approved Sandy recovery plan can be found at www.nyc.gov/recovery.
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