New Mexico Wildfires DR-4652 Frequently Asked Questions and Rumor Control

Fact:

There is no blanket waiver. Generally, by law, there is a 30-day waiting period from the date of purchase until flood insurance coverage takes effect with very few exceptions. There is an exception called the Post-Wildfire Exception, and it only applies in narrow situations on a case-by-case basis. This exception is relevant when a new policy (or additional coverage) is within the standard 30-day waiting period and a loss is experienced qualifying it for the Post-Wildfire exception and resulting in a 1-day waiting period.

In order to be potentially eligible:

• The insured property must be privately owned and experience damage caused by a flood that originated on federal land;
• Post-wildfire conditions on federal lands caused or worsened the flooding; and
• The policy holder purchased the new, additional or increased coverage either before the fire containment date or during the 60-calendar day period following the fire containment date.

It’s important to know that the Standard Flood Insurance Policy does not insure damage from a flood that began before a new policy’s waiting period (or coverage, if no waiting period) began, even if the flood did not damage the insured property until after the waiting period (or coverage) began. So, if you purchase flood insurance after a flood is already in progress, you won’t be able to be covered for a loss.

If you purchase flood insurance (or additional increased coverage), are in your waiting period, and experience a flood loss, ask your insurance agent or adjuster if you may be eligible for this 1-day, Post-Wildfire waiting period exception.

Fact:

This is not true. Residents of New Mexico affected by the ongoing wildfires can still apply for assistance from FEMA, even if you plan to take part in or are taking part in a class-action lawsuit.

Fact:

FEMA grants do not have to be paid back. FEMA will not seize any land or property in return for providing disaster assistance.

FEMA may be able to provide reimbursement for out-of-pocket lodging expenses that are not covered by insurance benefits such as additional living expenses or loss of use. The survivor’s pre-disaster primary residence must be unlivable, inaccessible or affected by an extended disaster-caused utility outage to be considered.

By law, FEMA cannot duplicate benefits of insurance. Insurance policies may include Additional Living Expenses or Loss of Use coverage, which is a benefit that provides supplemental money to cover increased costs, including temporary housing, when you are unable to live in your home due to a loss covered by insurance.

Lodging Expense Reimbursement (LER) from FEMA may only be considered if an applicant has not received lodging assistance from any other source (e.g., voluntary organization) for the same dates the applicant is requesting LER.

Lodging Expenses Reimbursement requests are manually reviewed by processing staff. In larger scale disasters, it can take one to two months after receipts are submitted to receive reimbursement.

No. Eligible expenses may include the cost of the room and taxes charged by a hotel or other lodging provider. This does not include costs for food, phone calls, transportation or other miscellaneous expenses.

Yes, renters may apply for disaster assistance with FEMA. If you have renter’s insurance, you should call your insurance provider to file a claim. If you are insured, you must provide information from your insurance which may include a declaration page and a settlement or denial.

No. FEMA will provide disaster assistance to eligible applicants for a primary residence. FEMA will not consider more than one primary residence for a survivor and his/her spouse. FEMA defines your primary residence as the place where you live for more than six months of the year.

To be considered for Lodging Expenses Reimbursement, eligible applicants must submit verifiable lodging receipts or itemized statements with the following information: The name of the applicant or co-applicant, information for the lodging provider (name, address and phone number), dates of occupancy and the amount of expenses incurred.