FEMA begins payments on flood claims for homes in central Texas
FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has received flood claims on more than 800 homes.
Payments for insured losses have exceeded $22 million and could exceed $30 million when all claims have been filed and paid for the homes that were damaged in the Oct. 16 flooding in central Texas. FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has received flood claims on more than 800 homes.
“Unfortunately, more than half of the homeowners who suffered damage had no flood insurance,” said Mark Hanna, a spokesperson for the Insurance Council of Texas, in a press release. The Llano County Emergency Management Office reported the number of uninsured homeowners may have been two or three times the number of those with flood insurance.
Related: Well, the National Flood Insurance Program still hasn’t lapsed
Unusual water levels
A spokesperson for the National Weather Service said the area just west of Llano recorded a three-day total of 12 inches of rain which pushed the Llano River to its crest of over 40 feet on the morning of Oct. 16. The heavy rains pushed Lake LBJ, which is a constant level lake, up 5 feet above normal, resulting in additional flooding.
For homeowners in the process of rebuilding, both FEMA and the local emergency management officers are advising that construction not get underway until building permits that meet city or county building codes have been approved.
“As we have seen, flooding is not confined to homers near lakes or rivers or designated floodplains,” said Hanna. “Flood insurance is one of the least expensive insurance products available and it provides good coverage as well as peace of mind.”
Related: Repeated payments for flooded homes: How much is too much?