The state’s Housing Recovery Program will fully compensate homeowners affected by tropical storms Irene and Lee, and Hurricane Sandy for the repair costs of damage to their homes due to earth movement.

Under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s existing National Flood Insurance Program regulations, damage caused by the movement of soil or earth — even if the movement is the result of flooding — is not eligible for coverage. In comparison, physical damage to a building caused directly by floodwaters is covered under NFIP.

As a result of this gap in coverage, hundreds of homeowners throughout the state have had their NFIP claims denied, leaving many with no place to live and no resources to rebuild, according to a release from the governor’s office. The new program will fill this gap, covering damage due to earth movement.

The state will continue to conduct outreach to homeowners to ensure that those interested can apply for assistance. In addition, the Office of Storm Recovery will provide technical assistance to the communities under the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program to evaluate and determine if local resiliency measures could assist with limiting the impact of earth movements. For more information, call 1-855-697-7263 or visit www.stormrecovery.ny.gov.

The state’s Housing Recovery Program will fully compensate homeowners affected by tropical storms Irene and Lee, and Hurricane Sandy for the repair costs of damage to their homes due to earth movement.

Under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s existing National Flood Insurance Program regulations, damage caused by the movement of soil or earth — even if the movement is the result of flooding — is not eligible for coverage. In comparison, physical damage to a building caused directly by floodwaters is covered under NFIP.

As a result of this gap in coverage, hundreds of homeowners throughout the state have had their NFIP claims denied, leaving many with no place to live and no resources to rebuild, according to a release from the governor’s office. The new program will fill this gap, covering damage due to earth movement.

The state will continue to conduct outreach to homeowners to ensure that those interested can apply for assistance. In addition, the Office of Storm Recovery will provide technical assistance to the communities under the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program to evaluate and determine if local resiliency measures could assist with limiting the impact of earth movements. For more information, call 1-855-697-7263 or visit www.stormrecovery.ny.gov.