Mississippi could lose its access to flood insurance because of state law

Residents of Mississippi are in danger of losing their flood insurance if state legislators do not take action on a particular law. The state was put on notice by the Federal Emergency Management Agency late last week because one of the state’s laws makes hunting and fishing camps exempt from the building codes that govern the flood prone areas of the state. FEMA claims that if the issue is not resolved by May 5th, those receiving coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program will see their policies canceled. According to…

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Maine insurance regulators urging consumers to purchase flood insurance before the stormy season begins

The Maine Floodplain Management Program, a state-run initiative that works in tandem with the National Flood Insurance Program, is urging state residents to purchase flood insurance before the stormy season gains momentum. According to state regulators, floods in Maine are often the result of coastal storms that happen near the beginning of spring and during the hurricane season later in the year. Regulators note that while flood insurance is often very affordable, few consumers have policies because they do not think that such disasters will happen to them. March and…

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U.S. Senators team to petition for action on troubled National Flood Insurance Program

The problems facing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) remain unresolved and its latest expiration date – May 31 – is quickly approaching. Forty-one Senators have come together to petition for action to be taken on the ailing federal program that provides affordable insurance coverage to thousands of homeowners. The Senators are backing a legislation that would extend the program’s lifetime for another 5 years and begin the arduous reformation process. They assert that action must be taken swiftly in order to prevent lapses in coverage during seasons of heavy…

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SmarterSafer.org Praises Senators’ Efforts to Bring Long-Term NFIP Reauthorization to Senate Floor

SmarterSafer.org today praised a letter from David Vitter (R-LA) and Jon Tester (D-MO) to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) urging the Senate to pass long-term reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The letter, signed by a bipartisan coalition of 41 Senators, asks the Leaders to bring the legislation to the Senate floor as expeditiously as possible. “The Senate should take this opportunity to capitalize on the bipartisan efforts by both the Senate Banking Committee and the House of Representatives thus…

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FEMA to distribute waiver to Katrina victims that will absolve their debt

It has been nearly 7 years since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the U.S., leaving utter destruction in its wake. Those affected by the merciless storm have been laboring to recover since, but staggering debt has made recovery a lengthy process. Though some progress has been made in the past several years, victims still owe a total of $385 million to insurance companies and government agencies like FEMA. Ironically, the money was awarded to Katrina victims as the result of error on FEMA’s part. The agency had plans to recover this…

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