I am writing in regards to a flood insurance reference made in the usually excellent “Nailing it Down” feature by Dave Murnen and Pat Beatty that appeared Oct. 1 in The Daily World. I read it regularly, and a host of excellent ideas can always be found therein.

I was alarmed to read, and I quote, “Folks in both (Aberdeen and Hoquiam) with mortgages are paying out a lot in flood insurance – sometimes it’s even higher than their mortgage payment!”

While this is sadly true, it should have been followed by “But here’s how you can save some money!”

Some flood insurance policies are underwritten by private firms and are not subject to the dictates of FEMA.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people in Grays Harbor are still allowing themselves to be crushed under the heel of FEMA. If I dare mention flood insurance during my monthly appearance on the radio, the phone lines will light up across the board, and nothing else will get discussed.

Richard R. Pennant

Hoquiam