Flood Insurance Policyholders have until September 15 to Request their Hurricane Sandy Claims be Reviewed

WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is committed to ensuring every National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholder who filed a claim as a result of Hurricane Sandy receives every dollar they are due under their policy. The NFIP established a process for Hurricane Sandy survivors who feel they were underpaid to have their claims reviewed. Where warranted, additional payments will be made to those policyholders.

On May 18, FEMA began mailing letters to approximately 142,000 NFIP policyholders who filed claims resulting from Hurricane Sandy, offering them an opportunity to have their files reviewed. While extensions may be granted on a case by case basis, FEMA set a Sept. 15, 2015 deadline for policyholders to begin the intake process by either phoning the call center and speaking to a claims review specialist or downloading the claims review request form from the website and submitting it via email or by fax.  In the coming weeks, FEMA will use a number of communications channels to remind the all 142,000 policyholders of the Fall deadline.

Establishing this review is just one step in FEMA’s effort to improve the program.  The Sandy claims review process is intended to be simple, navigable by the policyholder and does not require paid legal assistance. Additionally, there are several nonprofit service providers ready to offer free advice and answer questions policyholders may have. A list of these advocacy groups can be found on the claims review website at www.fema.gov/sandyclaims

To be eligible for the review, policyholders must have experienced flood damage between Oct. 27, 2012 and Nov. 6, 2012, as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Policyholders can call the NFIP’s Hurricane Sandy claims center at 1-866-337-4262 or go online to www.fema.gov/sandyclaims to download a form requesting a review. The downloaded form may be filled out and emailed to FEMA-sandyclaimsreview@fema.dhs.gov to start the review process. 

FEMA will request the policyholder’s claim file from their insurance company and forward it to the NFIP review office within two business days. Files will be assigned to a highly qualified, NFIP-certified adjuster who will serve as a caseworker for the insured. Caseworkers will contact policyholders to guide them through the process. The caseworker will make a recommendation after a thorough review of the claim file and any new information provided. If the policyholder does not agree with the recommendation, the policyholder will have the opportunity to obtain an additional review of the file by a third party neutral. The entire process should take less than 90 days.

For individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability using 711 or VRS, please call 866-337-4262.  For individuals using a TTY, please call 800-462-7585 to begin the review process.  Before contacting the claim center, policyholders are asked to have their flood insurance carrier name and policy number at hand.  

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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Flood Insurance Policyholders have until September 15 to Request their Hurricane Sandy Claims be Reviewed

Keep In Touch With FEMA; Update Your Contact Information

NEW YORK – Hurricane Sandy survivors who have already registered with FEMA are urged to keep in touch and keep their contact information current, especially if they have been displaced by the disaster. 

After survivors register for assistance, FEMA will reach out to them to set up housing inspections and mail determination letters, so updating your phone number and mailing address as needed is key to ensure that your recovery is not delayed. 

Once a FEMA-contracted housing inspector calls to set up an appointment, it is also important that applicants keep their appointment, or call to reschedule as needed so that the application process continues.

Applicants who need to update their contact information or have questions regarding their application can call the toll-free FEMA helpline.

  • Call 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362. 
  • The toll-free telephone numbers will operate 24 hours daily, seven days a week, until further notice

Survivors can call the helpline to:

  • Update their file with a change of address or new phone number.
  • Ask questions about disaster assistance.
  • Track the progress of their FEMA application.
  • Get information about the inspection process.
  • Learn about the steps to appeal a FEMA decision.

Survivors can also have questions answered by visiting their nearest disaster recovery center. To find the nearest center:

  • Text DRC and a Zip Code to 43362 (4FEMA), and a text message will be sent back with the address.

For more information on New York’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4085, http://twitter.com/FEMASandy, www.facebook.com/FEMASandy and www.fema.gov/blog.

Originally posted here: 

Keep In Touch With FEMA; Update Your Contact Information