When Oliverea residents Kate and Herb Van Baren’s house was flooded, “Our homeowner’s insurance covered nothing except the food that spoiled in our refrigerator,” said Kate. “A lot of people think they should get flood insurance only if they’re likely to get flooded. But homeowner’s doesn’t even cover you if a sewer backs up into your home. We’re in flood zone C, outside the 500-year flood plain, so our flood insurance was not that expensive. It’s well worth the money.”

Many area residents are struggling with insurance companies, hoping to defray the expenses of repair after the devastation of Hurricane Irene. Many of them want state and New York City agencies to help prevent future crises.

The Van Barens don’t know yet how much insurance money they will get. “It’s a time-consuming process,” says Kate. “The insurance adjuster says it will take up to 60 days, and someone else said up to four months.”