Naples community forced to buy flood insurance

Writer: Sommer Senne
Published: Updated:
Manatee Cove
Manatee Cove residents forced to buy flood insurance. CREDIT: WINK News

Near Collier Boulevard and Tamiami Trail East in Naples is a little community called Manatee Cove.

“It’s a brand new community,” said Tanya Jennings. “So it’s very pretty, and everyone is very friendly.”

But this small community is having a big problem.

They’ve received letters from their mortgage companies advising they have 60 days from the date on the letter to provide flood insurance, or they’ll be forced to use insurance that the mortgage company chooses.

Jennings moved into her home on August 2nd.

At the time, her home was in Collier County’s Zone X, which isn’t a flood zone.

“It took a minute for me to swallow what was being presented,” Jennings said.

With the new county flood maps this year, Jennings’ home went from being in Zone X to Zone AE, a high-risk flood zone.

“Our lowest quote was $9,300,” she said. “I’ve heard some of our neighbors discuss their quotes were over $10,000.”

“Nobody in here would have bought in an AE flood zone,” said Liz Beckman. “We just would have gone to another community.”

Beckman lived in Manatee Cove during Hurricane Ian.

“We didn’t have an ounce of water anywhere in our community,” she said. “No damage. Nothing.”

She also says home elevation is another issue.

“According to my elevation certificate, I’m at 7 feet, 7 inches,” she said. “According to the new flood maps, you need to be at eight. We were advised by Collier County that they had notification a year before the houses were sold that they knew the maps were going to change, and they knew it was going to be eight feet.”

Pulte Homes built the Manatee Cove community.

WINK News spoke with Josh Graeve, the Division President of Southwest Florida for Pulte Homes.

He said Pulte can only build to the elevation that is currently approved at the time of building.

They work alongside Collier County and the South Florida Water Management District and can’t build to a potential unknown elevation.

He also said they can never guarantee flood insurance, and they pride themselves on their engineering and design for stormwater management.

WINK News also reached out to Collier County for comment and has not heard back.

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