Hoboken Mayor Says Lack of Insurance Means 'Thousands' Will Be Homeless

Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer said Wednesday that she estimates thousands of residents are going to be homeless because of the lack of flood insurance coverage.

Speaking on the Brian Lehrer Show, Zimmer said FEMA offers limited coverage for basements — a problem for the many people who live in below-ground apartments.

"The reality for Hoboken on the ground is that thousands of people are going to be homeless and the flood insurance system is not working because their primary residence is not covered," she said.

Zimmer said there are more than 300 homes with no gas and a handful still without electricity. She says she's working to get renters back into their buildings.

"We actually implemented a system about five days ago saying that property owners have to demonstrate that they've had an electrician ion or a plumber in and if they don't then we're fining them a $1,000 a day."