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SATURDAY 12.06.14

VOLUME135

NUMBER 292

SINCE 1879

ADVICE D6

CLASSIFIED D7

COMICS D5

LOCAL A3

MOVIES D4

OBITUARIES A8

OPINION A11

SPORTS C1

WEATHER C10

YOUR MONEY A4

PROTESTS CONTINUE TO SPREADSTORIES,A9 and 1B

EX-BROOKDALE HEAD PAROLEDSTORY, A3

IS GOVERNOR

OFF THE HOOK?Report: Questions remain, but no proof Christie knew of bridge plot. STORY, A7

SECAUCUS After weeks of criticism from super-storm Sandy victims, the Federal Emergency Man-agement Agency reversed course Friday and agreedto a series of flood-insurance reforms that advocatessay should benefit victims.

The reforms, announced by Sens. Robert Menen-dez and Cory Booker, along with Reps. Frank Palloneand Bill Pascrell Jr., all Democrats, have been agreedto by FEMA leadership and include the following:

All engineering reports that were secretly mod-ified will be provided to policyholders;

Penalize insurers just as much when they under-pay a legitimate flood-insurance claim as when theyoverpay;

Reinstate the flood-insurance appeals of 270Sandy victims; and

Speed up the installment of a flood-insurance ad-vocates office within FEMA.

George Kasimos, the Realtor who started the StopFEMA Now out of frustration, praised the develop-ments, especially the creation of a consumer advocatewithin FEMA.

This goes a long way in helping mediate our claimsinstead of litigating our claims, he told the AsburyPark Press after the announcement. Mediating ourclaims will help us with quicker resolutions and moremoney for the homeowner because we wont have tohire an attorney who will subtract his fees from theaward.

Complaints over flood insurance payouts have beenconsistently cited by Sandy victims as one of the rea-sons why they have been unable to rebuild, especiallyas reconstruction of flood-damaged homes lingers intoits third year.

Menendez and Booker had a meeting with FEMA

ROAD TO RECOVERY

FEMA AGREES

TO REFORMSFlood-insurance changes to aid victims

RUSS ZIMMER @RUSSZIMMER

SeeREFORMS, PageA9

This goes a long way in helping

mediate our claims instead of litigating

our claims.

GEORGE KASIMOS, FOUNDER OF THE STOP FEMA NOW GROUP

NASAs new spacecraft

made a dramatic journey

3,604 miles beyond Earth.

The achievement opens a newera of human exploration

to put people on Mars.

STORY, A12

OBAMA PRAISES CHOICE FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY; URGES QUICK OK PAGE 1B