Donelon Urges Louisiana Residents to Get Flood Insurance Now

The rain may have moved on, but parts of Lafayette’s north side continue to battle high water after last week’s storms.

The areas near Paul Breaux Middle School and Heymann Park are still under water thanks to a swollen Vermilion River. Just a couple of miles north, the Derby Heights Subdivision is slowly draining after getting pounded by nearly 10 inches of rain on Monday and Tuesday. Resident Porsha Evans sent this photo to KPEL to show how deep the water in her neighborhood is. She says the water was so high she couldn't leave her home.

Last week's floods are now renewing calls from state officials to Louisiana residents to purchase flood insurance--even if flood maps show your home is not in a flood plain. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says flood insurance may be cheaper than you think because of a federally-subsidized program.

"The best insurance buy any property owner anywhere in the state can make is the subsidized National Flood Insurance Program," Donelon said. "The cost of that coverage is below the actuarial indicated rate that should be charged for that coverage. It's a compromise from the last reauthorization of that coverage.

"It's so important to our state. We have benefitted from that program more than any other state in America. Since 1978, we've collected almost $20 billion in flood claims despite only 25 percent of the residences in our state have flood insurance. The Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas were great examples of that in 2016. Only 13 percent of the homes in those areas had flood insurance. Since then, that number has doubled."

Donelon says homeowners may purchase flood insurance through the NFIP or through their regular insurance provider. For more information about purchasing flood insurance through the NFIP, click here or call 1-800-427-2419.

Donelon joined Bernadette Lee and Ian Auzenne to discuss the need for flood insurance as well as what residents could do if they feel they're being unfairly treated by their insurance company after last year's hurricanes, last winter's hard freeze, and last week's flood.