Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Flood insurance too late for some, helpful for others | News - Home

After the shocking realization of how devastating flash floods can be, many in our region are starting to clean up and move forward. Some, however, have a little more help than others.

A muddy and soaked mobile home in Washington County was the place Tabitha McCurry once called home. That changed when a nearby creek welcomed itself into her four walls, devastating all she owns. "White carpets and white floors are now mud throughout. It's heartbreaking to go in and see everything's gone," McCurry told News 5 Tuesday.

To make matters worse, she doesn't have flood insurance -- the expense will come out of her own pocket. "[I] never thought about [insurance]. [I] never thought about that creek coming up that far," McCurry said.

We asked local State Farm insurance agent Ben Igou what homeowners and even renters should know. He told News 5 everyone should consider getting flood insurance whether they live on a floodplain or not.

We found out that while local agents can help sign you up, it only comes from one place. "Basically, the only option is to go through FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency]. Most insurance policies through insurance companies don't cover floods, because there's just so much to it," said Igou.

While gathering the facts on this story, we actually ran into a National Flood Insurance Program adjuster on the job in Johnson City. He told us flood insurance covers exterior walls of a building, everything in them, and everything under them. It also helps cover cleanup costs as well.

For property owner Jamie Dove, who has both a policy and a water-logged house, that's a relief. "If it wasn't for that, this is probably going to be $15,000, $16,000 worth of damage. [That?s] close to what the house is worth, and I would really be in a bad spot," Dove told News 5.

But for Tabitha McCurry, it's a heart-breaking lesson learned too late, especially for a mother who has to tell her children everything is gone. "They say, 'Mom, where's this and where's that?' It's gone. 'What about this toy or what about that toy, or what about this favorite shirt?' It's gone," McCurry said with tears in her eyes.

We learned more facts on the National Flood Insurance Program: Both homeowners and renters can buy a policy.

Some things that aren't covered are cars and temporary living expenses. Premium prices will vary.

To get an estimate and more information visit the National Flood Insurance Program's website floodsmart.gov.

Source: http://www.wcyb.com/news/Flood-insurance-too-late-for-some-helpful-for-others/-/14590844/16006028/-/uobeeiz/-/index.html

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