Klamath siskiyou flood insurance 032306

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PRESS RELEASE: FEMA 3/21/06

SISKIYOU COUNTY DISASTER-RELATED FLOOD INSURANCE COVERAGE

Of the 287 that registered for state and federal disaster assistance from Siskiyou County, only 2.45 percent were properly prepared for the event – they said they had flood insurance coverage for their losses, according to state and federal recovery officials.

Of the more than 4,500 registered in the 13 counties declared for disaster assistance to renters, homeowners and businesses, only 504, or 11.32 percent, said they had flood insurance

“From our records as of March 21, only seven residents in Siskiyou County said they had flood insurance when they called us,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Tom Davies of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Federal and state disaster assistance provides a helping hand to those affected by disasters, but cannot make them whole again. Adequate insurance for contingencies is one of the most effective ways to prepare for man-made or natural disasters.

“We fully encourage any of our citizens living near or around water to acquire flood insurance. It’s is not a matter of if it floods in these areas, it a matter of when is the next time,” said State Coordinating Officer Henry Renteria, director of the Governor Office of Emergency Services (OES).

Floods are the most common type of natural disasters. There is a 9 percent chance of fire-related losses in the life of a 30-year mortgage compared with a 26 percent chance of flood-related losses.

Also, flood damage is not covered by homeowner’s insurance. Flood insurance must be bought separately. There are separate flood insurance policies for structure and contents. Residential customers may purchase up to $250,000 of coverage for a structure and up to $100,000 for contents. The limits for non-residential property are $500,000 for the structure and $500,000 for contents.

It takes 30 days after purchase for a flood insurance policy to take effect, so it's important to buy it before the flood waters start to rise. If a policy is purchased in conjunction with a mortgage closing, there is no waiting period.

Visit FloodSmart.gov to assess your vulnerability to flood threat. By entering an address and ZIP code, one can get information on whether a structure is in a low or high flood threat area. Information on approximate flood insurance costs for the area, and insurance agents who sell flood insurance also are available on FloodSmart.gov.

April 4, 2006, is the last day to register for state and federal disaster assistance or to return a U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest disaster loan package. Call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, or visit FEMA.gov, to register.