Culberson and Green Urge FEMA to Extend NFIP Deadline

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. U.S. Representatives John Culberson (TX-07) and Gene Green (TX-29) sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long urging him to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) deadline to submit proof of loss for claims resulting from Hurricane Harvey by an additional six months.

As the only appropriator from Southeast Texas a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and the only Texas Republican that voted for the Hurricane Sandy relief package I will do everything in my power to ensure FEMA gives Texas residents an extension to apply for disaster relief" said Congressman Culberson. The NFIP program cannot leave any policy holders impacted by Hurricane Harvey behind. An extension to allow more time for Texans to finalize their claims is critical." Texans who lost property during Harvey will only have until August 25 to submit their proof of loss claims to FEMA for federal assistance one year less than victims of Superstorm Sandy were given and six months less than the victims of the 2016 Louisiana floods" said Congressman Green. Our request to FEMA is a matter of equity for Harvey victims since extensions were granted to flood and hurricane victims in New York New Jersey and Louisiana in recent losses."

Full text of the letter is here and below. August 9 2018 The Honorable Brock Long Administrator Federal Emergency Management Agency 500 C Street S.W. Washington D.C. 20472 Dear Administrator Long: We write to request that the National Flood Insurance Program extend the deadline to submit proof of loss for claims resulting from Hurricane Harvey by an additional six months. As you know Texas is nearing the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey and many Houstonians are still working to rebuild and repair their homes. We appreciate that FEMA extended the normal Standard Flood Insurance Policy deadline to submit a proof of loss from 60 days of a flood loss to one year as well as the steps taken in the aftermath of the storm to help expedite the claims process. However as we near the one-year deadline not all claims have been settled and a six-month extension is vital. This would not be without precedent. After Superstorm Sandy the proof of loss deadline was further extended to grant individuals two years to file the proper documents. More recently after the August 2016 floods in Louisiana additional extensions were granted for as long as 18 months after the storm. A six-month extension would grant Houstonians a similar timeframe to the other communities that have been devastated by natural disasters in recent years. Thank you for your consideration of this important request to extend the proof of loss deadline to ensure those impacted by Hurricane Harvey have the necessary time to finalize their claims. Sincerely /s/