Wellsburg Council made plans on Tuesday to urge federal lawmakers to address rising flood insurance rates, echoing a move made earlier that day by the Brooke County Commission.

Council instructed City Manager Mark Henne to draft a resolution on its behalf urging West Virginia's representatives in Congress to repeal the Biggert-Waters Act.

The act was passed by Congress in 2012 to help the National Flood Insurance Program to overcome billions of dollars in claims filed by home and business owners affected by such major disasters as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy.

The program, which is overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is said to be in debt by more than $25 billion. Because of the costs, most insurance providers don't offer flood insurance, so the program was established in 1968 and many of the policies have been subsidized by the government.

To read entire article, click here.