The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be reopening claims filed by nearly 142,000 homeowners whose homes or properties were damaged during Hurricane Sandy.

Thousands of Americans impacted by the storm subsequently complained that FEMA wrongly rejected or “low-balled” their claims. Those complaints led New Jersey’s U.S. senators, Democrats Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, to contact FEMA officials.

Following a meeting between the senators and FEMA chief Craig Fugate, the agency announced it would review the claims belonging to 141,800 homeowners with federal flood insurance. FEMA said it will notify homeowners by mail about this review, while the two senators promised to use social media to reach those who have moved and whose current addresses are not on file with the agency.

“If the homeowners are found to have received less in compensation than they should have gotten, they will get more money up to the maximum of $250,000 for their property and $100,000 for dwelling contents,” Jonathan Salant wrote at NJ.com.

The 22,000 homeowners who have filed suit against FEMA and are in settlement talks with the agency will not be included in the upcoming review.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, Danny Biederman

To Learn More:

FEMA To Reopen 142,000 Claims By Hurricane Sandy Homeowners, N.J. Senators Say (by Jonathan Salant, NJ.com)

FEMA Takes More Action To Bolster Oversight Following Complaints About Sandy Insurers (by Jonathan Salant, NJ.com)

Inspector General Finds Bush-Era FEMA Paid for Hurricane Damage Covered by Private Insurer (by Danny Biederman and Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)