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…
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Realtors pressure Congress to reform the National Flood Insurance Program
Realtors have raised an alarm regarding flood insurance. Flood insurance is currently a major, yet little known issue in the U.S. Most homes do not have protection against flood damage and those homes that are required to have such protections as per their mortgage agreements obtain this coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The federal program has been crippled by debt, however, making its future uncertain. If the program does fail, realtors from the National Association of Realtors fear that the still-fragile housing market may not survive the…
Read MoreSMARTERSAFER.ORG Urges Senate To Pass NFIP Reauthorization Before Sept. 30 Expiration
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, SmarterSafer.org today urged the Senate to pass legislation to re-authorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) before it expires on Sept. 30. “While we believe the bill could be strengthened, the Banking Committee has taken a needed step to reforming the nation’s flood insurance program and Smarter Safer joins a range of stakeholder groups in applauding this legislation,”SmarterSafer.org said in a letter to the Senators. “We urge the full Senate to quickly pass this needed…
Read MoreNorth Dakota residents may need to purchase flood insurance as FEMA’s flood map grows to include 7,500 homes
As FEMA prepares to release its revised flood maps the agency is issuing information to states that may be affected by the changes. North Dakota has recently received such information, which may have more people clamoring for insurance coverage when the flood map is released. FEMA’s flood maps are important to both home owners and insurance companies in order to determine the necessity and value of flood insurance. With major storms causing widespread flood damage, FEMA has been keen to make changes that are meant to help people protect their…
Read MoreAmericans are only at the beginning of weather related expenses
J.D. Power and Associates has released the results of study that indicated that a sizeable percentage of consumers who are in weather disaster-prone regions do not have adequate home insurance coverage. The United States may be the richest country in the world, but severe weather can still threaten its people and businesses. There are two primary socio-economic issues that impact the amount of economic loss that results from this type of catastrophe. They are: value at risk and population exposure. The 2011 U.S. National Homeowners Insurance Study showed that even…
Read MoreCongressional panel votes to reform National Flood Insurance Program
As the East Coast continues to struggle with rampant floods caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, there may be hope on the horizon for many without flood insurance. The Senate Banking Committee has voted to overhaul the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) instead of letting the program cease at the end of the month. The panel’s vote supports an overarching legislation that would ensure that the federal insurance program would continue to run for another five years, a bill that had already been passed but was whose execution…
Read MoreNational Flood Insurance Program coming to an end if Congress does not act by the end of the month
With flooding disasters wracking much of the Mideast and Southern U.S. more attention is being aimed at flood insurance. As more homeowners seek out the coverage they are finding that it can be quite expensive, especially for those living in places of high risk as designated by FEMA. The high cost of location-sensitive policies can put insurance coverage out of the financial reach of many. For these people, the National Flood Insurance Program can serve as a safety net between them and being uninsured. The program, however, is failing. To…
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