Earl Blumenauer: “Despite our recent flood insurance reforms, Katrina revealed that much remains to be done. Damage on a massive scale…”

“Despite our recent flood insurance reforms, Katrina revealed that much remains to be done. Damage on a massive scale triggered payouts and borrowing that mean the program must be revised, including a significant one-time-only subsidy. We should reconsider who must be covered and how the insurance premiums will be paid as well as the tricky question of flood versus wind damage. And certainly more attention must be given to the role and responsibilities of communities to make their citizens safer. It is very likely that some of the weakest regulatory protections in the Nation contributed to the Katrina devastation. I urge my colleagues to join me in this critical effort to fix the flood insurance program today and reform it for the future. ____________________”