The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reminds National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders that the deadline for requesting a review of their Hurricane Sandy flood insurance claim is Sept. 15, 2015. If policyholders feel their Sandy flood insurance claim was underpaid, FEMA encourages them to call the Sandy Claims hotline so we can review the claim. FEMA has begun providing funds to policyholders who had their review completed by FEMA and were due additional payments on their claim.
More than 12,500 policyholders have entered the review process so far. Getting started is as simple as making a telephone call. To be eligible for the review, policyholders must have experienced flood damage between Oct. 27, 2012 and Nov. 6, 2012 as a result of Hurricane Sandy and must have had an active NFIP flood policy at the time of the loss. Policyholders can call the NFIP’s Hurricane Sandy claims center at 866-337-4262 to request a review. It is important to have your policy number and insurance company name when you call.
In advance of the approaching deadline, FEMA expanded its call center hours to make it easier for policyholders to request a review. The call center operates weekdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. EDT to 6 p.m. EDT.
Policyholders can go online to www.fema.gov/hurricane-sandy-nfip-claims to download a form requesting a review. The downloaded form can be filled out and emailed to FEMA-sandyclaimsreview@fema.dhs.gov or faxed to 202-646-7970 to begin the review process. For individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use 711 or VRS, please call 866-337-4262. For individuals using a TTY, please call 800-462-7585 to begin the review process.
When policyholders call, it is helpful if they have available as much information as possible, including the name(s) on the policy, the address of the damaged property and the ten-digit NFIP policy number that was in effect at the time of the loss. Policyholders will be asked a series of questions to determine whether they qualify for the review. If qualified, they will be called by an adjuster to begin the review. The timing of this call may be affected by the volume of requests. Most reviews can be concluded within 90 days.
Policyholders who have already requested a review of their claim do not have to call again. They are in the system and an adjuster will continue to work with them after the Sept. 15 deadline.
The Sandy Claims Review is intended to be simple for the policyholder and does not require paid legal assistance. Several nonprofit service providers are ready to offer free advice and answer questions policyholders may have. A list of these advocacy groups can be found on the claims review website at www.fema..gov/sandyclaims.
If you have any questions, please contact FEMA’s Intergovernmental Affairs Division at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.