Sam Friedman writes in his blog entry “Did Noah Have Flood Coverage” on www.property-casualty.com about Ernesto and the apparent apathy of the citizens of Long Island and New York City regarding flood insurance.
Considering Ernesto was a mild storm with “only” 55 mile-per-hour winds when and if a much larger storm hits Long Island homeowners could be up to their eyeballs in floodwaters with no protection.
Friedman writes:
Yet is doesn’t appear that folks in the New York area are taking the exposure very seriously. Many still reportedly lack federal flood insurance, when they are living on an island! And as for risk management, I can’t imagine how an evacuation would be pulled off, given the routine traffic congestions paralyzing the area.
I was recently in Long Island last month and can vouch for the awful traffic and minimal means for an island the size of Long Island to evacuate thousands of people. Combining a lack of flood insurance by homeowners with no pre-planned evacuation strategy could lead to a Katrina type disaster.
Comment Preview