SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IS NO STRANGER TO
FLOODING. CONGRESS HAS THE POWER TO KEEP
A NATIONAL PROGRAM AFLOAT THAT MANY
HOME AND BUSINESS OWNERS RELY ON. WE FIND
OUT WHAT OUR CONGRESSMAN IS DOING TO
MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS.
BY LAURA SHAY,
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR,
ROYAL PALM COAST REALTOR®
ASSOCIATION
T
he National Flood Insurance Program is a big in flood zones. Congress reauthorized the program in 2012,
deal – especially for Southwest Florida. Do but now it’s $25 billion in debt and at risk of being washed
away completely.
you know why?
From FEMA’s website: The National Flood
Insurance Program aims to reduce the impact of flooding
on private and public structures. It does so by providing
affordable insurance to property owners and by encouraging
communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management
regulations. These efforts help mitigate the effects of
flooding on new and improved structures.
Congressman Francis Rooney (FL-19) represents Lee
and Collier counties in Washington, DC. He’s made the
reauthorization of the NFIP his priority, and he’s not alone.
Florida’s two senators, Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, are also
fighting to ensure the NFIP is reauthorized. If Congress
doesn’t give the program the green light again, it will expire
on September 30th.
The NFIP was created as a way to incentivize communities Congressman Rooney visited the Royal Palm Coast Realtor®
to rebuild with higher standards and push to avoid building Association earlier this year to talk to our members about
12 RPCRA.ORG | SEPT/OCT 2017