Flood insurance is a form of protection that provides coverage for a home and the possessions it contains, in case they should ever be damaged or lost as a result of water rising from an outside source. Though standard homeowners insurance will usually protect against flooding due to a broken pipe, for example, it would not cover damage from water that flowed into the home from a rising river, creek or even rain. While many homes are not located within areas that are recognized as having a high flood risk, those…
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Congress approves short-term National Flood Insurance Program fix
In Washington D.C., Congress has given the nod to an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), to maintain it until November 18, 2011, after having failed to pass a reforming bill for the program. It is hoped that this extension will provide enough time for a reported deal to close, which is supported by both parties. What this means to homeowners in any of the 20,000 communities that take part in the NFIP, is that if you will be purchasing a home or if you are attempting to…
Read MoreFEMA loosens insurance requirements for Calaveras County amidst community outcry
FEMA has been on the receiving end of harsh criticism lately for decision the agency made in the wake of recent storms that tore through Southern U.S. The agency issued a sleuth of new rules regarding insurance coverage for areas that may or may not be in danger of flooding. Some of the regions included in FEMA’s flood insurance mandate have not actually seen high waters in decades; such is the case in Calaveras County, California. Hundreds of homeowners and businesses have been affected by the mandate and claim that…
Read MoreSenate passes bill to prolong the National Flood Insurance Program for a short period while trying to resolve issues
Recent storm bringing widespread flood damage have brought the issue of flood insurance into the limelight. Despite it being required in some areas prone to flooding, flood insurance is rare throughout the country. Many insurance companies do not offer such coverage because the potential for loss. Those that do offer the coverage do so at a high price, making it, in some cases, unaffordable for homeowners. Complicating matters is the ailing National Flood Insurance Program, which is meant to provide consumers with affordable access to flood insurance. The program is…
Read MoreNational Flood Insurance Program takes yet another financial blow in the form of Hurricane Irene
The damage wrought by Hurricane Irene may be more than original estimated. Though the storm was not quite as powerful as has been predicted, it brought major floods to much of the East Coast. Given the scarcity of flood insurance amongst homeowners, many sought refuge from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The program has been on unsure financial footing for several months, however, being billions of dollars in debt. The program is meant to offer insurance coverage to homeowners that cannot receive such coverage through private insurance companies, yet…
Read MoreFew homes covered by flood damage from hurricane
Hurricane Irene has homeowners scrambling to review their insurance policies to take a closer look at their coverage, but all too many are discovering that they are not protected from the damage that results from flooding during this type of storm. This is the painful reality that thousands of people are facing as they clean up their flooded basements and work to repair other damage relating to flooding. Coverage for water damage is dependent on the source of the flooding. The typical homeowners policy will cover water and structural damage…
Read MoreU.S natural disasters: How the insurance industry is faring and what consumers need to know about the future.
As Hurricane Irene barrels down on the East Coast, Chris Hackett, Director of Personal Lines Policies for The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI), has quite a few things to say concerning insurance and how people will be affected by the storm. We were able to ask Mr. Hackett about current, past and even future potential natural disaster events that we all should prepare for. Here is what he had to say: Live Insurance News – With hurricane Irene beating down on the Carolinas, and maybe even New York,…
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