A house sits toppled off its stilts after the passage of Hurricane Milton, alongside an empty lot where a home was swept away by Hurricane Helene, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
WASHINGTON – Residents in the states hit by Hurricane Helene who had coverage through the federal flood insurance program but let it lapse before the storm hit may be able to renew it and still be covered from the impact.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said late Thursday that certain policyholders in seven states affected by Hurricane Helene whose insurance lapsed now have extra time to renew their coverage.
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Usually people who have policies through the FEMA-run National Flood Insurance Program get a 30-day grace period after their policies expire when they can renew and still be covered for anything that happens in the grace period. The agency is extending that until Nov. 26.
For example, if someone’s policy ended on Aug. 28, they normally would have had until Sept. 26 to renew it without risking a lapse in coverage. But now they have until Nov. 26 to renew.
The agency recommends that policyholders contact their insurance company to see if this applies to them.
“By extending the grace period for renewing policies, we are giving our policyholders some breathing room and demonstrating that the National Flood Insurance Program stands with them at time of tremendous heartache and difficulty,
If you let your flood insurance lapse and then got hit by Helene, you may be able to renew it
