Kansas City, MO -- - National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) officials will hold three workshops in Iowa during April to help insurance producers, lenders and community/government officials better understand the flood insurance program. The workshops will be held in Independence, McGregor and Davenport.
Richard Hainje, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region VII office in Kansas City, said, "Flooding is the most common type of disaster to which FEMA responds. Because of that, we continue to reach out to communities to explain the importance and benefits of purchasing and retaining flood insurance policies."
Hainje noted that 10 years ago, the Great Floods of 1993 inundated the Midwest. "While that was an extraordinary summer, we should all remember that flooding can occur at any time, and individuals, businesses and communities should protect themselves now by purchasing flood insurance."
The dates and locations for the workshops are:
| April 1 | Independence | Independence City Hall Council Chambers 331 1st St. East. |
| April 2 | McGregor | McGregor Public Library Meeting Room 334 Main St. |
| April 3 | Davenport | Davenport Public Library Basement Film Room (4th St. door, down steps, north side) 321 North Main St |
The seminars run from 8 a.m. to noon, with registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. There is a $30 registration fee per person and pre-registration is advised. To obtain registration forms and additional information, call Sonja Wood or Dean Ownby at 913-780-4238 or send an e-mail message to swood1@csc.com or downby@csc.com.
This workshop offers four hours of Continuing Education credit for all Iowa insurance professionals.
The workshops are co-sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Johnson County Community College and Farmers Insurance Group.
"It is important that we provide as much assistance as possible to local officials, lenders, agents and realtors regarding the National Flood Insurance Program," Hainje said. "Having businesses and individuals covered by flood insurance means less financial risk for them in the event of a flood. Increased flood insurance coverage in flood-prone areas also means fewer tax dollars are likely to be spent on future flood-related disasters."
The NFIP, administered by FEMA, makes federally backed flood insurance available in communities that adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damages. Currently, more than 4.3 million NFIP policies, representing more than $625 billion in coverage are in force in nearly 20,000 participating communities nationwide. Flood insurance can be purchased from any licensed property insurance agent for properties in participating communities.