FLORIDA, USA — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to approve Florida's request for a waiver allowing policyholders within the program to access a portion of their claims without going through the full claims process.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis announced the approval of the waiver that was from a joint request from both Patronis and the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
According to the Office of Florida's CFO, the program will provide NFIP Standard Flood Insurance policyholders $5,000 for combined building and content losses or up to $20,000 for policyholders that are able to provide FEMA with photographic evidence of claims and demonstrate proof of incurred out-of-pocket expenses related to the repair or replacement of insured property.
"Today, FEMA granted a waiver that will allow National Flood Insurance Program policyholders to access tens of thousands of dollars upfront without having to go through a normal claims process or involving an adjuster. This process cuts through a lot of red tape and provides critical funding to policyholders who can provide FEMA with basic information of out-of-pocket expenses related to repair or replacement of NFIP-insured property," Patronis said in a news release.