Friday, April 26, 2013
Homeowners are faced with a choice of elevating a home at a high cost or paying thousands more for flood insurance
Elevate, pay thousands more in flood insurance premiums or simply walk away from homes? That is the question on the minds of some Hurricane Sandy victims. The first floor of Craig Verran’s Manasquan home was totaled. A home that never took on water in its nine years is now being refurbished prior to Verran making his decision. “It’s a tough decision,” Verran said. “You either elevate or else. It’s an 'or else' situation. You’re going to face premiums that are unbearable.” In addition to $150,000 toward the damage to his home and car, Verran will be facing at least $75,000 to elevate his home or a $7,500 increase in his insurance, he said. Before Sandy, Verran’s home was 1 foot above the required elevation and not in a flood zone. Now, with…
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Officials adopt ordinance approving advisory base flood elevation guidelines, 'under extreme protest'
It's no secret that township officials didn't like FEMA's advisory base flood elevation guidelines almost as soon as they were released in mid-December. But last night they unhappily adopted an ordinance officially adopting the new standards "under extreme protest," the ordinance states. The advisory base flood elevations (ABFEs) are already the law of the land, since Gov. Chris Christie issued an emergency order back in January. But it was necessary to adopt them in Berkeley to make it easier for residents whose homes were more than 50 percent damaged to qualify for Increased Cost of Compensation (ICC) grants, Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. "Some insurance companies are not recognizing the Governor's executive order," Amato said. "This …
Monday, March 11, 2013
Ordinance set to be introduced at meeting tonight
Hold your nose and vote. That pretty much sums up Berkeley Township officials' take on introducing an ordinance to adopt the controversial FEMA advisory base flood maps. "Berkeley Township will be adopting them under protest," Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. "The adoption in no way endorses the maps, which we know to be deeply flawed." The sole reason the council will adopt the maps is to make it possible for residents to receive Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) grants, Amato said. "Many of our residents who are looking to rebuild are being denied ICC grant money, because we have not adopted the ABFEs," he said. "The adoption of the advisory base flood elevations is to make sure those residents receive the grant money." Residents whose…
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Grassroots group that opposes FEMA's advisory base flood elevations issued after Superstorm Sandy gaining momentum
Superstorm Sandy residents came by the hundreds to today to support the grassroots organization Stop FEMA Now today at the Silverton First Aid Squad building on Maine Street in Toms River. There were few places left to park on the side streets. Drivers searched up and down Pierson Street, Blossom Drive and Oak Hill Drive looking for places to park. "Get the word out," thundered George Kasimos, who organized Stop FEMA Now shortly after the Federal Emergency Management Agency released the advisory base flood elevation data. "We have to get the word out," he said. "Like us on Facebook. Stop FEMA Now! Like us! Did anybody not hear that?" Residents packed the ambulance bay area and spilled out onto the driveway. Many stood for the entire …
Sunday, February 24, 2013
The resident-led organization wants to challenge FEMA's flood maps.
Grassroots organization Stop FEMA Now held a recent meeting in Toms River to discuss the Federal Emergency Management Agency's new advisory base flood elevation maps and their implications for residents along New Jersey's coast. Though the combination meet and great and rally ended early after being shut down by police because of safety concerns due to overcrowding of the meeting location, residents were able to share concerns and some answers regarding the flood maps.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
For owners of homes not substantially damaged by the storm, waiting for final flood maps and flood insurance rates could help in making decision.
With a flood map still in flux and flood insurance premium increases still not set, property owners may have too little information to make an informed decision on whether to rebuild their homes at a higher elevation, according to state officials and local insurance agents. Record flooding from Superstorm Sandy on Oct. 29 caused billions of dollars worth of damage to the coastlines of New Jersey and New York, and in the aftermath of the storm, many owners are wondering if they will be required to elevate their homes. This much is known: Emergency rules adopted by New Jersey on Jan. 24 require new and substantially reconstructed (where the cost of restoration equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the …
Suggested elevations don't accurately reflect the risk, Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. says
Berkeley officials will travel to Trenton on Wednesday, to protest the new FEMA advisory base flood elevations Township Council President James J. Byrnes describes as "nuts." "This is just crazy," Byrnes said at the Feb. 11 Township Council meeting. "You get a little water in your house, all of a sudden you're in a V zone." Berkeley officials have yet to approve the suggested elevations -introduced by FEMA in December after Superstorm Sandy and mandated by Gov. Chris Christie two weeks ago. "We have over 4,000 waterfront homeowners," Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. "Over 40 percent will be affected one way or another. We don't agree with them. We don't want to have lagoon homes in Bayville that would be in the same flood zone as the Outer …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
New maps sure to be a topic of discussion at tonight's storm aftermath informational session at Berkeley Township Elementary School
The adoption of the Federal Emergency Management Agencies advisory base flood elevation maps was on the agenda at the last Township Council meeting in 2012. But the ordinance was abruptly pulled from the agenda, after Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. and Township Council members decided more time was needed to study how the maps would affect different sections in Berkeley. Berkeley will eventually adopt the new guidelines, Amato said yesterday. "These are advisories until FEMA adopts them," the mayor said. "That's why it's critical we do our due diligence." "We hope to have some of the professionals input and evaluation within two weeks," Amato said. "However, additional information from FEMA and the state may impact the decision-making process…
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Little has changed in sections of Bayville hit hard by Superstorm Sandy on Oct. 29
It's been almost three months since Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coast, destroying and ravaging homes and unraveling lives. And three months later, a drive through the Good Luck Point and Glen Cove sections of Bayville is depressing and bleak. Good Luck Point was and remains a horror show since Sandy struck. Houses knocked off their foundations. Homes tilted even more than they were in October, as foundations crack in the frigid January air. Some rooms and houses have simply disapppeared. Good Luck Point was once a neighborhood. Not anymore. Almost everyone is gone, except for those few who live in homes built later and higher than the modest homes that went up in the 1950s and 1960s. "Done With It," one owner …
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Seminar is limited to Berkeley residents impacted by the storm; FEMA, SBA, township professionals will be on hand to answer questions
Residents whose heads may be spinning from dealing with flood insurance, FEMA claims and flood elevations may find some relief at a township-sponsored seminar Wednesday night. The information session is only for residents impacted by Hurricane Sandy. It wil run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in auditorium at the Berkeley Township Elementary School on 10 Emory Avenue in Bayville, according to the township website. Space is limited to 500 residents. The session will be webcast live on the township website for anyone who cannot attend. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials will be on hand to explain rebuilding options and discuss the newly-released advisory base flood elevation maps, the Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) program, Hazard …
S. Bar
10:06 am on Thursday, May 9, 2013
GET US MONEY???? Thought you said you don't feel bad for us and to fix up our homes or sell them. Which one is it? CRAZY more ›