Joe Baca: “I rise to support of H.R. 3121 a bill that will modernize and reform FEMA's flood insurance program and thank Chairman…”

“I rise to support of H.R. 3121 a bill that will modernize and reform FEMA's flood insurance program and thank Chairman Frank and Maxine Waters for their leadership on this legislation. This bill will provide long overdue and much-needed reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program, NFIP, and update the program to meet the needs of the 21st century. Hurricane Katrina caused property damage from both wind and flooding in parts of five parishes of Louisiana, three counties of Mississippi, and two counties of Alabama. Yet insurance companies in those areas have refused to count claims where property damage was a result of both wind and water. Instead, for 2 years they engaged in the practice of denying and delaying claims and took advantage of the desperation of disaster victims who lost everything. This bill provides fair and equitable protection of combined wind and flood losses by allowing property owners to purchase wind and flood coverage in a single policy. It will help us right that wrong for many victims. As we saw during Hurricane Katrina, FEMA's maps are significantly outdated, often understating flood risk and leaving homeowners without enough information to protect themselves.”