South Shore Rising

Engineer fights for Sandy victims

Wantagh man recognized; urges homeowners to revisit claims

Posted

After Hurricane Sandy struck, engineers visited thousands of damaged homes on the South Shore to evaluate the damage and determine whether the storm had caused structural damage — decisions that were critical to the process of finalizing how much money insurance agencies would pay out to their clients.

One of those engineers was Andrew Braum, of Wantagh. In a episode of CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired in March, Braum made the dramatic disclosure that HiRise Engineering, of Uniondale, had altered many of his damage reports — and asked him to cover it up.

“This is not me — I didn’t do this,” he said, adding that nearly 175 of his reports, or 96 percent, were altered. “The ones that were not changed, interestingly,” Braum said, “were ones where I recommend no repairs are required.”

According to the “60 Minutes” report, the HiRise Engineering offices were raided by police, right around the time that the segment aired.

Braum owns ASB engineering in Bellmore, which specializes in mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire sprinkler engineering. In the aftermath of Sandy, he visited homes in many hard-hit areas, including Long Beach, Freeport and Breezy Point, Queens. In recognition of his work and his efforts as a whistleblower, on June 18 he received the 2015 Suffolk County Engineer of the Year Award from the New York State Society of Professional Engineers.

According to Andrew Haimes, the nominating committee chair for the award, Braum was chosen because of his “exemplary professional performance, and outstanding contribution to the goals of the engineering profession and the Suffolk Chapter.”

“I never thought I would be recognized for this kind of work,” Braum said. “I rarely seek publicity, but it was remarkable to receive the honor.”

On July 17, he was recognized by the National Society of Professional Engineers in Seattle.

The National Flood Insurance Program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has begun a review of claims filed by Sandy victims. Braum said he hopes many people whose homes were damaged will reopen their claims. “To date, to my knowledge, less than 6,000 claims have been opened,” he said. “This leaves 136,000 claims left to be addressed.”

While he said he understands that by now, nearly three years after the storm, many people are tired, and don’t have the energy to reopen a claim, he still urges them to do so. “Based on the tactics FEMA has used in the past, not just in this storm, but in previous storms,” he said, “it is my personal belief that it would be prudent for homeowners to seek legal assistance when addressing the reopening of their claims.”

Braum is holding presentations across the South Shore, educating residents about reopening their claims. One was held in Island Park last week, and he is planning another in Massapequa. He said he will make himself available to any civic group. “I come because I want to help these people,” he said.