Photo of flood-damaged house taken in Margaretville, September 5, 2011. Taken by Flickr user fixbuffalo and posted to the Watershed Post Flickr pool.
This just in from FEMA: The deadlines for filing a Proof of Loss claim through the National Flood Insurance program for damage from Irene or Lee in New York State have been extended. The original 60-day period for filing the form has been extended to 120 days for Lee, and 150 days for Irene.
A FEMA press release sent today:
National Flood Insurance policyholders have been given an extension to file the Proof of Loss (POL) form with the insurance company handling their claim, officials with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) have announced.
The POL, which must be signed and witnessed, is the statement of the amount claimed under the NFIP policy. After a flood, property owners contact their insurance agent, report the damaged property and meet with an adjuster. NFIP policy requirements state that in the case of loss, a POL form must be filed with the insurance company within 60 days of the event that caused the damage. The POL must include a detailed estimate and other supporting documentation to replace or repair the flood-damaged property.
The adjuster may, as a courtesy, provide a POL but the property owner is responsible for making sure that it is complete, accurate and filed in a timely manner.
Because of the magnitude of affected states and the number of flood claims filed, extensions for deadlines for submitting the Proof of Loss forms in New York State are:
-For dates of loss between Aug. 12 and Aug. 26, 2011, the policyholder has 120 days from the date of loss to file the POL.
-For dates of loss between Aug. 26 and Sept. 4, 2011, (Hurricane Irene) the policyholder has 150 days from the date of loss to file the POL.
-For dates of loss between Sept. 5 and Sept. 22, 2011, (Tropical Storm Lee) the policyholder has 120 days from the date of loss to file the POL.
After the POL is submitted, if the property owner notices additional damage the owner may file a supplemental Proof of Loss, documenting the newly discovered damage, as long as it is within the time period allowed by the extension granted by NFIP. If new damages are discovered and a claim for additional damages is presented after the extension period, the insured must request a waiver of the time limitation from NFIP in order to submit the supplemental claim.
Policyholders with questions or concerns about their flood insurance claim should contact their insurance agent.
For additional information on flood insurance contact your local agent or visit www.floodsmart.gov.
Deadlines in other states affected by Irene and Lee have also been extended.
