Arizona Residents Are Urged To Buy Flood Insurance
Release Date: July 26, 2002
Release Number: 1422-32
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Mesa, AZ -- Officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are urging residents throughout Arizona to purchase flood insurance coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), to reduce flood Losses.
Flooding is the nation's leading cause of property loss from natural disasters. The wild fires have made some Arizona residents more vulnerable to flooding. Flood insurance is affordable and can be purchased for less than it costs to insure your car.
"Flood damage---unlike wind damage---is not covered by homeowner's or business insurance policies," Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) Director Michael P. Austin said. "This coverage must be purchased separately and is available only in communities that participate in the NFIP. People need to keep in mind that there is a 30-day waiting period before a new flood insurance policy becomes effective."
Federal Coordinating Officer Sandy Coachman also had a message for people who rely on federal disaster assistance in lieu of flood insurance. "Disaster assistance is only available when the President issues a major disaster declaration that includes Individual Assistance," Coachman said. "Even then, it is quite limited and is not a substitute for flood insurance, which also covers losses from small, localized flood events."
Important features of the National Flood Insurance Program are:
- Everyone can and should have flood insurance. Even if you don't live
in a designated flood zone you can purchase flood insurance if your
community participates in the NFIP. Anyone can get flooded. More than
90 percent of all Presidentially declared disasters involve flooding.
- You can insure your home for up to $250,000. Contents coverage, up
to $100,000 is separate. Renters can insure their belongings, too.
- Flood insurance pays even when no disaster is declared. Statistically, federal disaster declarations are issued in less than 50 percent of flooding incidents. An NFIP policy will pay for flood damage whether or not there is a federal disaster declaration.
The program is administered by FEMA and can be purchased through local insurance agents. For more information, call your insurance agent or NFIP at 1-800-427-4661.
Note to Editors: More information is available on FEMA's For The Media site, at www.fema.gov/about/media.shtm and Fax-On-Demand at (202) 646-FEMA.
The Arizona Division of Emergency Management coordinates emergency services and the efforts of governmental agencies to reduce the impact of disasters on persons and property through disaster mitigation programs and the coordination of federal, state and local government agencies to respond to, and recover from, disasters through training and emergency response planning.
FEMA is the federal agency that coordinates response efforts to federal disasters. The agency's 10 regional offices work directly with the states to help plan for disasters, develop mitigation programs and meet needs when disasters occur. FEMA Region IX serves the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada, as well as the territories of American Samoa and Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.
SBA low interest disaster loans are the primary source of federal funds for repairing or rebuilding disaster damage to private property owned by homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes.
Last Modified: Thursday, 14-Aug-2003 11:03:16