State, Local Officials Address Storm-Related Insurance Issues

Rosanna Amorusi opened WaveLength Haircutting for Men & Women in West Nyack when she was 23 years old.

After 31 years, the business she was so proud is badly damaged due to flooding from Hurricane Irene, with mold starting to show on the walls and nearly all of the enterior ruined.

"I had beautiful hanging Tiffany lamps," Amorusi said. "My place was beautiful. People would come in and say, 'This is a hair salon?' I even had director's chairs, like the director's chairs they had from movie sets. I had 100-year-old barber chairs. I lost everything."

Amorusi was among the residents to come to Hamlet Green Park near the post office on West Nyack Road, where Senator David Carlucci (D-New City) arranged to have New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Benjamin M. Lawsky and some of his staff come to offer help to those struggling with insurance claims.

"It's his priority ot make sure insurance companies are holding up their end," Carlucci said. "We want to make sure they are made whole in cricumstances like this. Some of these policies are complex. Every policy is a little bit different. People have to make sure they are reading the policies and insurance companies are holding up their end of the deal."

Lawsky thanked Carlucci for helping arrange the time for residents to stop by Friday afternoon. He said that those who could not attend friday can call 1-800-339-1759 for help.

"We just did a little tour of Lonergan Drive and the damage there is just devastating," Lawsky said. "We saw two houses at the bottom of the street starting to move on their foundations. People are in tough sitations now."

Lawsky said his top priority is to make sure that private insurance companies are taking proper care of their customers and paying out on their policies.

"What we need to do from an insurance perspective is absolutely, No. 1, make sure insurance companies are honoring the promises they made," Lawsky said. "People have insurance for times like this."

Lawsky said that he was happy with what he heard from insurance companies earlier this week, but now he has concerns.

"We are starting to hear reports from around the state that private insurance companies are putting the word out that this might not be covered or that might not be covered," Lawsky said. "Yesterday, there was talk that flood insurance won't cover this because it is a hurricane. We want to be clear from the governor's perspective and the insurance department's perspective, flood insurance, if you have it, covers flood damage.

"Insurance companies are on notice from here on in. They need to honor their promises. I mean that in the strongest possible sense. WE are hearing from people in tough circumstances and they are being told private insurane isn't going to cover things. The governor just called me a few minutes ago and told me to make this clear, so I will. youa re a private insurance company. This is what you do. You made these promises under these contracts and you better honor them or you will hear from us."

That is what drew residents such as Mary Wynne of Pearl River to West Nyack Friday. Her home was badly damaged Sunday just two months after being flooded in June.

At one point, water was running like a river just feet from the side of her home. A tree that was dislodged from the ground actually impaled her driveway, which is now impassable. She fears that her home's foundation is cracked. She and her husband have six children, living arrangements are a challenge with their home unlivable. Despite the damage, her insurance company still has not had a representative there.

"That's our concern," Wynne said. "There is a crack in the boys' room. AllState is finally coming tomorrow (Saturday)."

Positive News

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that federal disaster assistance will now be available for individual homeowners, renters and business owners in eight more counties, including Rockland.

"I thank FEMA for moving quickly to further assess the damages and needs of New Yorkers impacted by Hurricane Irene," Cuomo said through a press release. "All residents and small businesses who have suffered losses should call FEMA's registration number -- 1-800-621-3362, or register online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov/ as soon as possible."

Local officials had been concerned when designation was not made earlier in the week. The federal funds can help in situations when private insurance comes up short.

"What's really exciting is the governor worked hard and our members of congress worked hard and Rockland County has been declared acceptable for individual assistance," Carlucci said. "That will be very helpful.

"We were screaming because we were concerned that we didn't get that designation Monday. We got it today, so we are happy about that."

Concerns Beyond Insurance

More than one resident raised concerns about United Water releasing water from Lake DeForest Damn earlier this week, saying that it made conditions much worse for residents.

"The damn still has a right to release water with very little discretion and put us right back in the spot we were in," said Perry Dentico of West Nyack. "There is a loophole there that is choking the entire village of West Nyack.

"We had people celebrating that there was no problem after the storm, then 15 minutes later they are up to their waist in water."

There is a sign with the ruined furniture piled up outside of WaveLength that reads "Thanks United Water."

"It's basic common sense," said Bob Wanke of Nanuet, whose in-laws are living with him because their home was flooded. "We understand that they let out water. If you know you are getting 10-to-12 inches of water, you have to make sure there is room for 10-to-12 inches.

"They said the state gave them permission to lower the reservoir level. The whole thing smells, and it's not just from us being dirty."

Dentico raised the concern that insurance companies could blame the release of water rather than the storm for damage to homes and businesses.

Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski (D-New City) said local officials will be meeting to discuss the water issues next week.

"This is just the first of many steps we need to address," Zebrowski said.