More than 2,500 flood insurance policies bought in Florida after Hurricane Irma are expiring this year, including hundreds along the First Coast.
After Hurricane Irma devastated the state in 2017, FEMA bought three-year group flood insurance policies (GFIP) for thousands of survivors whose homes were flooded. Those policies are set to expire this year and survivors need to buy a new flood insurance policy, or find other flood insurance, in order to remain eligible for future FEMA assistance.
Nearly 200 of those policies are in Northeast Florida and another 35 are in Georgia’s Camden, Charlton and Glynn Counties.
To remain eligible for financial assistance after a flood, homeowners and renters must obtain and maintain flood insurance and make sure there is no lapse in coverage. If a property that has been flooded is sold, the new owner is also required to have flood insurance.
Homeowners and renters’ policies typically do not cover flood damage.
Flood insurance will pay claims even if there is not a major disaster declaration, covering things like flash floods, storm sewer backups, river overflows, storm surges, mudslides or tropical systems.
For questions about GFIPs, call the National Flood Insurance Direct Call Center at 800-638-6620.
For more information about the National Flood Insurance Program and/or insurance, call the National Flood Insurance General Call Center at 800-427-4661.
To find an insurance carrier or agent visit FloodSmart.gov or call FEMA NFIP Direct toll-free at 1-800-638-6620, option 2.
Brendan Rivers can be reached at brivers@wjct.org, 904-358-6396 or on Twitter at @BrendanRivers.
