Mayors A.J. Holloway of Biloxi and Billy Hewes of Gulfport returned home this morning after traveling to Washington, D.C. this to advocate flood insurance reform.
Holloway and Hewes met with legislators from across the country, as well as federal officials, to help develop an alternative to the Biggert-Waters Act, which would see dramatic increases in flood insurance rates. Several relief bills have already been proposed, but they are still under consideration.
Hewes says, “This issue affects our entire Coast, so it is imperative that we all work together to help find a solution. We’ve had back-to-back meetings since we arrived, and we’re talking to anyone who will listen. We are determined to help ease the insurance burden on our residents and businesses.”
“In Biloxi alone, we have 6,000 flood-insurance policies,” Holloway says, “and the proposed increases in flood insurance would have a chilling effect on development, particularly in a city like Biloxi where many of us live and work on a peninsula. Mayor Hewes and I appreciate the opportunity to help make the case to our federal partners.”