Explanations of the Flood-in-Progress Exclusion
From a memo that was sent to our office, we thought this was
information worth sharing: This is to provide recently developed
explanations of the flood-in-progress exclusion, which may be
useful when communicating with customers. The text in the section
titled "Addendum" will be printed as an insert for the FEMA booklet
Answers to Questions About the NFIP. The online version
of that booklet will also be revised accordingly.
Please distribute this throughout your organization, as appropriate.
This Policy at Article V, Paragraph B excludes from coverage a loss
caused by a flood-in-progress when the policy term begins or additional
coverage is added. A flood is in progress when there is a general
and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or
more acres of normally dry land area from an overflow of inland or
tidal waters or an unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of
surface waters from any source, as defined in Article II of the Policy.
The following questions and answers conform to current Standard
Flood Insurance Policy wording:
69. What is flood in progress and how does it differ from the
date of loss?
The date of loss is the date a flood, as defined in the Standard
Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP), actually touches and damages
NFIP-insured property. A loss caused by a flood in progress at
the time an SFIP comes into effect may be subject to the
flood-in-progress exclusion. If the SFIP was effective prior to
the date the flood in progress began, coverage will be effective.
A flood is in progress on the earlier of either the date the
community in which the NFIP-insured property is located first
experiences a flood as defined in the SFIP, or on the date of an
event initiating a flood that directly or indirectly affects areas
downstream or in a floodway.
70. Is damage caused by a flood in progress covered?
If a policy is in effect on the date the flood in progress begins,
damage caused by the flood in progress is covered, subject to the
terms of the SFIP. If a policy is effective after the date the
flood is in progress, damage caused by the flood in progress most
likely will not be covered. However, each NFIP claim is adjusted
individually and the cause of any loss, and any applicable limitations
or exclusion in the SFIP, is determined during the claims adjustment
process.
MEMORANDUM FOR: Write Your Own (WYO) Principal Coordinators and
the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Servicing Agent
FROM: Dennis Kuhns Division Director, Risk Insurance Federal
Insurance and Mitigation Administration