Flood Alert Workshops Scheduled for Community Officials, Insurance Agents and Public
Release Date: September 13, 2000
Release Number: 1335-06
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Albany, NY -- Flood Alert, a series of mini-workshops has been scheduled for the week of Sept. 18-22 across New York State. The seminars are designed for building and code enforcement officials, insurance agents, insurance adjusters, building contractors, real estate professionals, floodplain managers, and all other interested citizens.
Community officials will be offered the opportunity to review community compliance issues while discussing the community role in floodplain management, especially making repairs after a flood.
While the schedule is meant to accommodate counties included in the disaster declaration signed by President Clinton on July 21, anyone from any county is welcome to attend any of the Flood Alert workshops. The schedule for the three-hour workshops is as follows:
Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery & Oneida counties
| Date and time: | Monday, Sept. 18, 9 a.m. |
| Location: | Mohawk Community College PCA Auditorium Floyd Avenue and Bell Road Rome, NY |
Madison, Onondaga & Oneida counties
| Date and time: | Monday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m. |
| Location: | Carousel Center Skydeck 9090 Carousel Center Drive Syracuse, NY |
Erie, Niagara & Orleans counties
| Date and time: | Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2 p.m. |
| Location: | Clarence Town Hall One Town Place Goodrich Road Clarence, NY |
Allegany, Cattaraugus, Livingston & Steuben counties
| Date and time: | Wednesday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. |
| Location: | Robert Livingston Community Center 188 West Main Street Allegany, NY |
Livingston, Steuben & Yates counties
| Date and time: | Wednesday, Sept. 20, 7 p.m. |
| Location: | Bath High School Cafeteria 25 Ellas Avenue Bath, NY |
Chenango, Otsego & Schoharie counties
| Date and time: | Thursday, Sept. 21, 9 a.m. |
| Location: | Otego Town Hall 3526 Route 7 Otego, NY |
Tioga & Tompkins counties
| Date and time: | Thursday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m. |
| Location: | Town of Dryden Firehall 1 Neptune Drive Dryden, NY |
Albany, Columbia, Montgomery, Rensselaer & Schenectady counties
| Date and time: | Friday, Sept. 22, 1:30 p.m. |
| Location: | Legislative Office Building The Roosevelt Room Hearing Room C, 2nd Floor Albany, NY |
Ninety percent of all disaster damage in the U.S. is due to flooding. However, not every Presidential disaster declaration includes assistance for homeowners and businesses. For example, the disaster declared by President Clinton on July 21 has been expanded to encompass 27 counties, but the amount of damage did not meet the standards established by the Stafford Act for assistance to individuals and businesses.
Even in disasters where assistance has been made available to homeowners, renters and businesses, the rebuilding and replacement costs to property owners have often far exceeded the amount of assistance money that is available through disaster housing emergency repair grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The majority of disaster assistance has been in the form of low interest loans that must be repaid from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Unfortunately, it is often only after the flood that owners and renters discover that flood damage is not covered by their regular insurance.
When homes and businesses are covered by National Flood Insurance, good things happen.
- Federal Flood Insurance claims are paid whether a Federal disaster is declared or not! Historically, the NFIP has provided the residents and business owners throughout New York with $353 million in flood insurance claims payments
- Claims are processed quickly, allowing flood victims to recover quickly. They can begin right away to remove debris, repair, rebuild, and replace business inventories and personal belongings.
- Policyholders are in control. They don't have to qualify and wait for federal disaster loans, which must be repaid with interest.
- Policyholder premiums, not taxpayer dollars, pay for flood losses.
The format of the Flood Alert mini-workshops will promote understanding and coordination among various entities involved in the NFIP.
In addition, a wealth of information about flood insurance, flood plain management and hazard mitigation is available on FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program web site.
Last Modified: Thursday, 13-Nov-2003 12:39:54