Flood insurance risk and rates

April 1 marked the rollout of the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) new rate changes, and as a former deputy insurance commissioner in Florida, it is welcomed news not only for those residing along Florida's miles and miles of coastline but also those living inland in areas prone to flooding.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), there are over 114,000 single-family homeowners in Florida who will benefit from decreased premiums under this new rate structure. This new program, called Risk Rating 2.0, simply applies modern catastrophe modeling and actuarially-sound rates to the in-debt, 50-year-old NFIP.

FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 Florida Profile shows that nearly 96% of current policyholders' premiums will either decrease or increase by $20 or less per month. Roughly two-thirds of policyholders with older pre-FIRM homes (pre-1970s) will see a premium decrease.

This new rating methodology is a more accurate and equitable way to determine a property's unique flood risk and the cost of repair. No longer will some policyholders be subsidizing the costs of others living in riskier areas. Further, it will provide property owners with information on their full risk rates, which is critical in encouraging mitigation actions to reduce flood risk.

NFIP rates were developed 50 years ago, based on simple Base Flood Elevations and designating lines on a Flood Insurance Rate Map for Special Flood Hazard Areas, seen at the time as the riskiest of locations across the country. We now know that floods don't care if your property is in or out of the mapped flood zone. A lots has changed since the NFIP's inception and Risk Rating 2.0 is a way to keep up with the times and reflect the true cost of homeownership.

Risk Rating 2.0 will be an important tool for educating homeowners, community leaders, and policymakers about the dynamic and growing risk of flooding, from coastal storm surges and overflowing rivers to overburdened and undersized drainage systems. It offers a truer assessment of flood risk and more equitable assignment of cost that will put a laser focus on the neighborhoods and communities in each state that are most at risk while offering relief to those who have been unfairly overpaying for years.

Let's face it. Florida is a state surrounded by water and subject to frequent flood surges, sea-level rise, along with significant hurricane activity several months out of the year. This federal flood insurance review, allowing for modern rate-setting changes with the latest data and technology, ensures the National Flood Insurance Program's Risk Rating 2.0 continues to provide essential coverage for current and future policyholders.

Lisa Miller of Lisa Miller & Associates is a disaster insurance and recovery expert and former deputy insurance commissioner

The ranked-choice solution

After the 2010 census, Republicans in Florida drew congressional maps that were eventually struck down by the courts because they were intended to favor Republicans getting elected. Considering how things are going now in Tallahassee, it looks likely that the new congressional maps will eventually end up in the courts again. The process of drawing maps that favor a political party, illegal in Florida based on 2010 Florida Constitutional Amendment 6, is called gerrymandering.

Gerrymandering has been used by both parties throughout the country. A New York Times analysis suggests that fewer than 40 out of 435 congressional districts in the United States are competitive, where there is a reasonable chance that a candidate from either party could be elected. That means that in 90% of US congressional districts, the representatives only need be accountable to the members of their own political party.

The solution to this problem is proportional representation, which could be achieved through multi-winner ranked-choice voting. The basic idea is that there would be big districts with multiple representatives elected. For instance, in Northeast Florida, there could be a district electing five congress members. Suppose that 60% of the voters in that district were Republicans, while 40% were Democrats. If the voters voted entirely based on political party, the result would be that three Republicans and two Democrats would be elected.

That would be a fair result, and every voter could have someone representing his views in Congress.

Richard E. Denton, New Smyrna Beach

Pay their share

It is long past time for those who have the most to pay their fair share! This Tax Day our elected leaders need to finally do right by our families and economy by passing common-sense tax policies like extending the monthly Child Tax Credit checks and taxing billionaires and mega-corporations.

Moms and our families are hurting and our unfair tax policies are part of the problem—but there are solutions before Congress right now that would make a big difference. Inflation is costing the average U.S. household an additional $296 a month but the monthly Child Tax Credit payments would offset that cost for most families if Congress were to extend it in the economic reconciliation package being debated right now. The monthly CTC checks make a huge difference and were responsible for an unprecedented reduction in child poverty of almost 40%.

This reduction in child poverty can be paid for by making sure the ultra-wealthy finally pay their fair share. American billionaires' collective fortune has grown by $2.1 trillion, skyrocketing by 70% during the pandemic, while families have struggled with unemployment, lack of childcare, and food insecurity. Congress must tax billionaires once and for all and use that money to fund programs that lift up our families and struggling communities.

This isn't just the right thing to do, it's how we boost our economy for everyone

Joe Galdo, Ormond Beach

Good job coping with COVID

The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research comparing the Covid outcomes in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The research rated each on the various outcomes related to three key variables including their economy, education and mortality.

Based on the combined scores, Florida ranked 6th best while those with the most restrictive Covid policies, including New Jersey, New York, California, D.C. and Illinois, all finish in the bottom 10 of the 51 studied.

The top 10 were all states with smaller populations, with the exception of Florida.

Florida ranked 3rd best with the least education loss. 13th-best in economic performance, and 28th in terms of mortality, despite having the 3rd largest population in the United States.

The article states that while Florida was about average in terms of mortality, "...it did better in terms of protecting its citizens from severe economic harm and its children from lost schooling" than other states.

Further, the study concluded that "...states that withdrew the most from economic activity did not significantly improve health by doing so."

So, a big thank you to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his leadership through the pandemic and the positive impact his policies had on Florida.

Philip Maroney, Ormond Beach

Silent witnesses to war

I was watching the news about Ukraine daily, but I cannot anymore because now the news is beginning to show the abandoned dogs and cats wandering in the bombed-out streets. When the news shows the dead bodies of the Ukrainian people, I can watch that, and it usually does not bother me; but I can't stand to see the pitiful animals roaming about starving and lost. So I'm going to stop watching the news because of them. I keep it on the NASA channel now.

I will keep my head in the sand for only so long. At other times I cannot stomach what I see of atrocities committed on Ukrainian citizens. I will emerge to watch the news again with grace permitting.

The dogs and cats are Silent Witnesses. If they could only talk, what a tale they would tell.

Sally J. Lucchesi, Holly Hill

DeSantis versus Disney

After signing the ridiculous and dangerous "Don't Say Gay" bill into law, Gov. Ron DeSantis has now decided to use his legal power to continue his feud with Disney's CEO Bob Chapek.

DeSantis wants to take away some of the rights Disney has to collect its own garbage and run its own powerplants, etc.

The moment Chapek tried to talk reason into DeSantis, he made himself a lifelong enemy of our thinned-skinned governor.

Robert Graves, in his novel about widespread political corruption in ancient Rome, wrote these words: "To use the majesty of law for revenging any petty act of private spite is to make a public confession of weakness, cowardice and an ignoble spirit."

DeSantis, by his many petty acts of spite, has proved himself unworthy to hold any political office. He's just another rich, pampered American who is giddy in his efforts to divide the nation for his own political and financial gain. In other words, a 21st-century monster, as unevolved as the most vindictive ancient Roman.

Samuel McIlrath, St. Augustine