Louisiana Commissioner Requests Flood Claim Deadline Extension

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires homeowners to file a Proof of Loss form to claim damages within 60 days of a flood.

On June 17 in a letter to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon asked FEMA to extend its deadline for Louisiana homeowners impacted by flooding.

He said many NFIP insureds in Northwest and Central Louisiana have been displaced from their homes as a result of flooding from the Red River.

“Additional rainfall could delay their attempts to return home delaying further their ability to start the process of filing a claim under their NFIP policy,” Donelon wrote.

“A Proof of Loss form is required before any policyholder will receive payment but filing that form within 60 days can be a real challenge for homeowners and businesses who’ve been victims of catastrophic flooding,” Donelon said.

He said after Hurricane Isaac in 2012 caused extensive damage in Plaquemines and St. John the Baptist parishes, FEMA authorized four NFIP deadline extensions, increasing policyholders’ time to file a Proof of Loss form to 240 days from the time of their loss.

Donelon asked “FEMA to grant a similar courtesy to homeowners in northwestern and central Louisiana.”