Flood insurance payments continue to climb
TALLAHASSEE - The National Flood Insurance Program had paid more than $244 million as of Saturday to policyholders whose property was damaged by Hurricane Ian, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Monday.
The program had received more than 43,000 claims and made $142 million in advance payments.
The overall payment total has steadily increased amid cleanup efforts from the Category 4 storm, which made landfall Sept. 28 in Southwest Florida and crossed the state. As of Thursday, for example, the flood-insurance program had paid out $208 million.
Residents who have mortgages on properties in designated flood zones are required to have flood insurance, which is mostly purchased through the federal program. But most Floridians don't have flood insurance, exacerbating problems from Ian, which caused flooding across the state. Residential property-insurance policies cover wind damage, but not flood damage.