The state’s top insurance regulator is telling consumers about a process in which they can appeal their placement in a flood zone, causing them to purchase insurance
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department this week issued a consumer alert informing homeowners of the appeal process should their properties are located within areas deemed as flood zones by the federal government.
It was just recently that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated its flood maps. Notably, the new flood maps have identified potential flood zones in areas previously classified as safe.
According to pahomepage.com, a good number of locations have been classified as flood zones for the first time—whether they sustained water damage in the recent past or otherwise. This has forced property owners to purchase flood insurance.
To appeal, homeowners are required to show that the lowest adjacent grade (the lowest point in the ground touching the structure) of their property is at or above the Base Flood Elevation. Homeowners are responsible for providing such information to FEMA, and can send a Letter of Map Amendment to the agency free of charge.
Homeowners with further questions and/or concerns about how to appeal their property’s placement in a flood zone are advised to visit FEMA’s website for more details.
