Hey everyone, I have flood insurance, and my house was flooded during Hurricane Debby. The flood insurance is paying out around $50k after the deductible and adjuster fees, but it doesn’t cover contents, so things like appliances aren’t included. We lost almost everything except for our clothes. It’s a 3 bed, 2 bath house.
I applied to FEMA, and they’re waiting for the settlement letter from my insurance. A FEMA inspector has already been to the house. Does anyone know if FEMA can help cover appliances? I heard that if you already have private insurance, FEMA might not pay out. Has anyone dealt with both insurance and FEMA in a situation like this?
That’s a tough situation, and I don’t want to give you false hope, but if FEMA is waiting on your settlement letter, they might still be reviewing your case. Do you know if your flood insurance covers homes with basements? Also, did you have to get separate coverage for food and contents?
Flood insurance usually covers the building and above-ground contents at actual cash value (ACV) up to policy limits. Depreciation determines the ACV. For NFIP flood policies, that’s how it works. If you have private insurance, you might be able to get coverage for replacement costs of contents and actual living expenses up to the policy limits. Both programs are through FEMA.
From what I understand, flood insurance covers the structure, not personal property, and appliances are considered personal property. A simple way to think about it is, if you turned your house upside down, anything that would fall out is personal property. Your HO-6 homeowners insurance should cover personal property, including appliances. How long did it take for FEMA to process your application?