The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently sent a letter to officials in Lee County, Florida alleging that hundreds of homes were rebuilt in violation of the agency’s rules following Hurricane Ian. The letter provoked a sharp backlash as homeowners struggle to rebuild following the devastating 2022 storm that destroyed a large swath of the county.
The controversy stems from how subsidized flood insurance from FEMA is administered. FEMA insurance comes with the stipulation that if a home in a flood zone suffers damages worth more than half of its value, it must be torn down and rebuilt so it’s elevated above flood level. This is an expensive proposition for homeowners, but it is intended to prevent U.S. taxpayers from paying for repeated destruction of homes in vulnerable locations.
It is up to local officials in damaged zones to enforce this rule, which is a condition for FEMA to provide discounted flood insurance to homeowners. FEMA’s letter to Lee County threatened to revoke the insurance discount, alleging that the county was lax in enforcing the rebuilding rule.
County officials received angry complaints from constituents and considered suing the agency in a heated meeting. In the aftermath, FEMA gave the county an extra 30 days to make the case that it hadn’t allowed homeowners to rebuild in violation of its rules.
FEMA’s letter indicates a change in the federal government’s mindset in that it is now prepared to crack down on continued risky construction in floodplains. How this situation plays out in Lee County will be watched closely by officials in other coastal areas vulnerable to storm damage and flooding. It may be a harbinger of how FEMA will address rebuilding efforts in the future.
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