Sandy Flood Claims Exceed $31M in R.I.; Average Payment Was $35,603

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid more than 800 claims totaling more than $31 million to property owners in Rhode Island after Superstorm Sandy.

The Providence Journal reports that the federal program also rejected about 200 claims.

The total approaches the $35 million that was paid out in the state after widespread flooding in 2010.

State coordinator Michelle Burnett says Sandy caused severe damage to individual coastal properties, while the 2010 flooding caused modest damage throughout the state.

She says the average payment for a Sandy claim in Rhode Island was $35,603.