WASHINGTON – FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is supporting policyholders impacted by the devastating flooding following Hurricane Florence.
To help speed recovery, the NFIP is allowing advanced payments to policyholders on their flood insurance claims. When a policyholder contacts their insurer, the policyholder can receive an advance payment of up to $5,000 on a flood claim, without an adjuster visit or additional documentation.
Additionally, a policyholder who provides evidence of damage to their insured property in the form of photos or videos, receipts validating out-of-pocket expenses related to flood loss, or a contractor’s itemized estimate, can receive up to $20,000 in advanced payments.
“The National Flood Insurance Program is here to support our policyholders and help them begin the recovery process,” said David Maurstad, chief executive of the NFIP. “We are positioned in the impacted area and in close coordination with our NFIP insurance partners to ensure quality customer service for our policyholders in these extreme circumstances.”
FEMA has thousands of NFIP adjusters positioned throughout the impacted area ready to support policyholders as they file claims. FEMA is working closely with state insurance officials to identify any issues and ensure NFIP policyholders’ needs are met.
“It’s important to note, that a major or emergency declaration isn’t necessary for NFIP policyholders to file a flood insurance claim,” Maurstad said. “Anyone who experienced flooding as a result of this storm should contact their agent.”
Policyholders should call their agent or insurance company to file a flood claim. Policyholders who need assistance contacting their insurance company can contact the NFIP Call Center at 1-800-427-4661. A flood insurance adjuster should reach out within a few days to start the claims process.
After filing a flood claim, if NFIP policyholders have additional unmet needs, they are encouraged to register for disaster assistance. They may be eligible for additional funds. Individuals can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling toll-free 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585).
