FEMA extends deadline for Hurricane Sandy flood review claims
FEMA has agreed to extend its deadline for review claims, following on from Hurricane Sandy, which we noted previously.  This follows an opportunity that was given to residents affected by Hurricane Sandy to reopen their damage claims to ensure they were not underpaid. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Wednesday that it would extend by another month the deadline for homeowners to request a reopening of their flood insurance claims from Hurricane Sandy.

In May, the agency had invited flood insurance policyholders to refile their claims amid mounting pressure from elected officials and victims of Hurricane Sandy who had complained that their payouts had been too low, and that their claims had been tainted by possible improprieties relating to engineering reports that the insurance companies relied upon.

Revelations that engineers assessing flood damage for insurance companies altered some of their reports, leading to lower insurance payouts, were documented by The New York Times and “60 Minutes,” among other news organizations. At least one criminal investigation, started by the New York State attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, is now underway.

For months, the number of policyholders who had requested fresh reviews of their cases has been disappointingly low to many advocates and politicians, who said many residents were simply too beaten down by the prospect of more government bureaucracy.