David Loebsack: “I want to thank Congresswoman Waters for bringing this bill to the floor today. It will help address concerns all of us…”

“I want to thank Congresswoman Waters for bringing this bill to the floor today. It will help address concerns all of us have likely heard from our constituents about the flood insurance program and flood map modernization efforts. In Iowa, flood insurance is an issue we are all too familiar with. Two years ago this issue was brought to our attention with terrible effects. Iowa was devastated by the floods of 2008, which left 85 of our 99 counties Presidentially declared disaster areas and caused billions of dollars in damage. The National Flood Insurance Program was and remains an important program and has helped many homeowners recovering from the floods. Unfortunately, due to a lack of notification during the process of updating the flood insurance rate maps to digital maps, many homeowners continue to be surprised when they find out that their homes may be newly placed in a special flood hazard area and they will be required to purchase flood insurance. My amendment is simple. It will help to ensure communities and homeowners that might be affected by new maps are made aware of the process taking place from the beginning.”