Deadline extended a fourth time for Isaac-related flood insurance claims

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 most policyholders have until April 22 to complete their proof of loss claims.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) usually re?quires claims to be reported within 60 days from the date of loss. Four extensions have been granted.

With the latest 60-day extension on flood insurance claims, Louisianians have 240 days from the date of their insured losses to submit a claim, known as Proof of Loss. Hurricane Isaac first made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 28, 2012, 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.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers the program.

“A major storm like Isaac can make it difficult for survivors to gather information that will help adjusters determine their flood insurance loss,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar of FEMA. “This extension eases the burden on folks who haven’t yet filed their proof of loss, and we continue to urge them to do so as soon as possible.”

Failure to submit the proof of loss could cause policyholders to miss out on benefits from their flood insurance policy, NFIP specialists said.

Policyholders with questions about flood insurance or concerns about their claims may contact flood insurance agent, call FEMA program experts at 1-866-331-1679 or 1-866-330-7286, or visit www.floodsmart.gov.

This article originally published in the March 4, 2013 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.