21 Nov $33k flood insurance bill for Sandy victims who already raised their home

Many homeowners who live in flood prone areas are facing bigger bills for flood insurance.

But the story of one Union Beach couple is astonishing.

According to a report in The Star-Ledger, the couple did what they were supposed to do, and more, raising the home three feet above the new federal flood standards.

Still, they were still socked with a $33,000 flood insurance bill, the report said.

Before Sandy, the couple’s flood insurance premium was $598 a year.

The problem? A discrepancy between the flood zone where the house now sits in federal maps, and where it will sit when new maps are officially adopted, the report said.

“Though the couple’s property is drawn into a less restrictive flood zone in new maps released after Sandy, their house now partially sits in an area subject to storm-driven waves, known as the “V” zone, according to federal officials, the story said. “The town’s construction official, however, has disputed that designation, saying the property has always been in the less-restrictive zone.”

“It’s a shame that after all this time we really are probably going to have to walk away from this,” the homeowner told The Star-Ledger.