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Hurricane Ian flood insurance payments reach $1.46 billion
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid more than $1.46 billion to policyholders who sustained damage in Hurricane Ian, as the total continues to steadily climb, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Monday.
The total was up from about $1.2 billion a week earlier and from $882 million on Dec. 1.
The program has received about 45,300 claims from the Category 4 hurricane, which made landfall Sept. 28 in Southwest Florida and crossed the state.
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.
Residential property-insurance policies cover wind damage, but not flood damage.
Florida lawmakers last week approved a plan that will phase in a requirement for customers of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to buy flood insurance.
