RE: [Winona] Insurance/flood insurance

[terri hyle]

[Winona Online Democracy]


 For reasons I do not understand, flooding is not usually included in home 
owners insurance policies.  I don't like it, I don't agree, I find it  
upsetting.


One disturbing thing I heard and read in the news coverage of the recent 
floods is the number of people who say they could not get flood insurance 
because they do not live on a flood plain.  In fact, that is what I thought 
was the case. But listening to NPR coverage, I learned that you CAN purchase 
flood insurance as long as you live in a community that  participates in the 
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), you're eligible to purchase flood 
insurance. (source:  FEMA's floodsmart.gov site).

A list of communities that participate in the NFIP is found here:

http://www.fema.gov/cis/MN.pdf

Goodview, Minnesota City, Winona, Winona County, Rushford, Houston, St. 
Charles and Houston are all included (sorry, I haven't listed every affected 
community, but I believe all of those affected communities in SE MN do 
participate).

There is a great deal of information available at FEMA's flood site:

http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/options.jsp

I urge everybody to gather as much information as possible to make informed 
and intelligent decisions about protecting their homes and families.

What I find particularly infuriating is that it was clear to me that many 
people believed--presumably because they had been told by insurance 
agents--that they did not qualify for flood insurance because they do not 
live on a flood plain, which is not in fact, the case.  I would be very 
interested in finding out for certain why people believed that they were 
ineligible for flood insurance.  If people were misinformed by insurance 
companies or agents, then I really think that some legal action needs to be 
taken.

Terri Hyle






From: "Joliene Olson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <winona@mnforum.org>
Subject: [Winona] Insurance/flood insurance
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 09:55:10 -0500

[Winona Online Democracy]



I agree with Linda Fort and her posting about insurance in general.  Home
owners insurance should be written to protect our homes. period.  One 
policy
should do the trick.



Traditionally, however, if we wanted protection from floods we need a
separate policy called 'flood insurance'.  Or, as the family in 
Brownsville,
have a rider on their homeowners for earthquake etc. Some are required to
carry 'flood insurance' if they have a mortgage and live in a flood plain.
Here in Winona (City) we had to carry flood insurance on our house until 
the
dike system was fully installed or until the mortgage was paid in full.
Then we could stop paying.



I would like to know if anyone knows the real information on Flood
insurance.  I have heard (but haven't verified) that there are people right
now who do have flood insurance but won't get a dime for some/various
reasons.  WHY NOT!  If a person has flood insurance and their house is in a
flood why don't they get protection?????  Again, I have heard that it
depends on how the policy is written.  But why!  A flood is a flood.



Are there any of you who are reading and participating in Online Democracy
who have any more information than I do?  Does flood insurance pay off for
those who have it??



Thanks

Joliene Olson



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