Two Years Later: Hurricane Ivan Flood Claims Top $860 Million 

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program paid more for Ivan claims than any other Florida disaster

Release Date: September 8, 2006
Release Number: LTR-06-041

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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Florida policyholders of the National Flood Insurance Program received more than $860 million in payments for Hurricane Ivan claims since the storm crashed ashore, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today.

For nearly 10,000 claims paid, the total disbursements under Ivan amount to more than those paid for any other Florida disaster in the program’s history. Nationwide, only policyholders who made flood claims for Hurricane Katrina received more money.

“Hurricane Ivan underscores the value of a carrying a flood insurance policy,” said Scott R. Morris, director of FEMA’s Florida Long-Term Recovery. “Flood losses often reach into the tens of thousands of dollars, and insurance protects property owners from absorbing the costs themselves or from relying on limited disaster aid.”

Flood insurance is an especially important protective measure, since homeowners insurance policies do not cover damages caused by flooding.

“Floridians are urged to review their needs and plans to be prepared for future disasters by having flood insurance,” said Craig Fugate, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “More than 95 percent of our communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, so coverage is widely available.”

Florida’s 2.1 million policies account for nearly 43 percent of the nation's total flood insurance policies.

Flood insurance is sold and serviced through private insurance companies and agents. To learn more, log onto www.floodsmart.gov, contact your local insurance agent or call 1-800-427-2419.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following an incident of national significance. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impacts. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.

Last Modified: Saturday, 09-Sep-2006 00:06:53