Scituate, Marshfield groups offer advice on flood insurance policies, claims

MARSHFIELD – Following a 1992 nor’easter, Doris Crary was able to collect a flood insurance payment for repairs to the roof of her three-story Scituate home, thanks to some coverage from the press. “The Associated Press showed my house disappearing in a wave,” she explained. “Sometimes, looking at newscasts, publications and all that, there may be substantiating proof for your claim.” On Thursday, the Marshfield and Scituate Coastal Coalitions held a flood insurance information meeting for coastal residents at the St. Ann’s parish hall on Ocean Street. The coalitions provided information about filing insurance claims, seeking grants and taking advantage of storm-related resources. Speaking from experience, Crary offered advice for homeowners who suffered a flood loss and plan to file a claim. For example, she recommended making sure that the appraisal figure on all documents is correct. She also warned homeowners against making other renovations before a claim is settled, saying such changes could be confused for flood damage. “You may think, ‘It’s a mess now, so let me make that mess go away,’ but you may not want to do that,” Crary said, noting that homeowners must elevate their homes if damage reaches a certain threshold. When Crary raised her home on Oceanside Drive, she went 3 feet above the water level shown on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood maps. The state building code only required her to lift it 2 feet above the flood elevation, but she recommends 3 feet. “I had a $5,400 premium, and I went 3 feet higher, and it dropped to $2,200,” she said. “I wouldn’t have seen any reduction at all if I stayed at 2 feet.” Homeowners can also raise utilities, fill in crawl spaces and add flood vents, as well as lower the coverage level of their flood insurance policies without losing grandfathering for subsidized policies. Marshfield and Scituate have joint pending appeals of FEMA’s proposed new flood maps. About 1,400 parcels in Marshfield alone will be added to the flood zone if the appeals fail and the maps are implemented as written. As a result, hundreds of homeowners would have to buy flood insurance for the first time. Marshfield Fire Chief Kevin Robinson provided tips for preparing for and responding to winter storms, including shoveling out hydrants and checking carbon monoxide detectors. He said wind can push exhaust back into home vents. Homeowners are required by law to have working carbon monoxide detectors on each floor of living space and within 10 feet of each bedroom door, Robinson said. “Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu, and when you have the flu, you want to stay in bed,” he said. “Of all carbon monoxide deaths, 50 percent die on the couch and 50 percent die in the bedroom.” Robinson said Marshfield has 14,000 hydrants, so it’s hard for firefighters to keep up with digging them out without help from the public. “If you know where the hydrant is, but you can’t dig it out yourself, at least mark the snow with spray paint so we know where it is,” he said. Reach Jessica Trufant at jtrufant@ledger.com.