Insurance industry infighting may delay Congressional action on National Flood Insurance Program

A fight amongst lobbying groups could put a hold on Congress’ decision regarding the ailing National Flood Insurance Program. The program, which provides millions with access to affordable flood insurance, has been wracked with crippling debt for several years and has finally run out of money and reached a point where it could no longer be sustained. Last month, lawmakers allotted more money to the program in an effort to ensure its survival for another five years, but the plan failed when confronted by the program’s enormous debt. Lawmakers were…

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Senate passes bill to prolong the National Flood Insurance Program for a short period while trying to resolve issues

Recent storm bringing widespread flood damage have brought the issue of flood insurance into the limelight. Despite it being required in some areas prone to flooding, flood insurance is rare throughout the country. Many insurance companies do not offer such coverage because the potential for loss. Those that do offer the coverage do so at a high price, making it, in some cases, unaffordable for homeowners. Complicating matters is the ailing National Flood Insurance Program, which is meant to provide consumers with affordable access to flood insurance. The program is…

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North Dakota residents may need to purchase flood insurance as FEMA’s flood map grows to include 7,500 homes

As FEMA prepares to release its revised flood maps the agency is issuing information to states that may be affected by the changes. North Dakota has recently received such information, which may have more people clamoring for insurance coverage when the flood map is released. FEMA’s flood maps are important to both home owners and insurance companies in order to determine the necessity and value of flood insurance. With major storms causing widespread flood damage, FEMA has been keen to make changes that are meant to help people protect their…

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Americans are only at the beginning of weather related expenses

J.D. Power and Associates has released the results of study that indicated that a sizeable percentage of consumers who are in weather disaster-prone regions do not have adequate home insurance coverage. The United States may be the richest country in the world, but severe weather can still threaten its people and businesses. There are two primary socio-economic issues that impact the amount of economic loss that results from this type of catastrophe. They are: value at risk and population exposure. The 2011 U.S. National Homeowners Insurance Study showed that even…

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Congressional panel votes to reform National Flood Insurance Program

As the East Coast continues to struggle with rampant floods caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, there may be hope on the horizon for many without flood insurance. The Senate Banking Committee has voted to overhaul the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) instead of letting the program cease at the end of the month. The panel’s vote supports an overarching legislation that would ensure that the federal insurance program would continue to run for another five years, a bill that had already been passed but was whose execution…

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