Officials confirm that Lee County residents will maintain their 25% flood insurance discount after months of uncertainty over potential loss.
In April, FEMA claimed unincorporated Lee County, Cape Coral, Estero, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers Beach, all allowed a high percentage of unpermitted work after Hurricane Ian.
That caused plenty of back-and-forth between Lee County and FEMA.
The accusation put the 25% discount for flood insurance at risk, which could have cost homeowners hundreds of dollars.
FEMA gave a 30-day extension to allow the city more time to submit the paperwork. It wasn't until mid-July when the final decision was due after the agency postposed its original announcement date.
On Friday, July 19, officials confirmed that they received a response from FEMA stating that the current discount would stay in place.
Homeowners are now officially safe from being required to pay the full price for flood insurance with the discount secured.
Statement from FEMA:
We’ve made progress with each of the five communities over the past two months. To ensure each community has the support they need to be compliant with the National Flood Insurance Program, we will begin a probation process for each community. During this time, each community has 121 days to correct any remaining deficiencies.
Also, policy holders will be able to maintain their regular flood insurance policies at a discounted rate. Our goal during the next few months is to continue meeting with each community and making progress to ensure standards of the program are being met so they are more resilient to future disasters.
