Deadline Extended Again for Isaac-Related Flood Insurance Claims in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana property owners with flood insurance policies whose homes or other structures were damaged during Hurricane Isaac have an additional 60 days to file claims for their flood-related losses. This means policyholders have until late January 2013 to file.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) usually requires claims to be reported within 60 days from the date of loss. Two extensions have been granted, however, because access to NFIP-insured homes and other buildings was delayed due to infrastructure damage and high floodwaters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers the program.

Meanwhile, the deadline for individuals, renters and business owners to register with FEMA for disaster assistance remains Nov. 29.

With the latest 60-day extension on flood insurance claims, Louisianians have 150 days from the date of their insured loss to submit a claim, known as Proof of Loss. Hurricane Isaac made first landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 28, with heavy rainfall and flooding occurring within several days before and after it hit. For this reason the date of loss varies for property owners.

“We encourage people who have not filed a flood insurance claim to take advantage of this filing extension to document their losses,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “This extension should provide Louisianians a chance to file claims on damages sustained during Hurricane Isaac.”

Since Isaac made landfall, the NFIP has paid out more than $370 million on 12,864 claims in Louisiana.

Policyholders with questions about flood insurance should visit www.floodsmart.gov.

More information on Louisiana disaster recovery is available online at www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. FEMA is also on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion6 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.