The FEMA Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office compensates eligible claimants for a five - year flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Claimants must submit a Notice of Loss (NOL) requesting a flood insurance policy no later than December 20, 2024.
The deadline was extended from May 31, 2024, to December 20, 2024. After you submit your NFIP NOL, the Claims Office will assign a navigator to work with you to submit the documents and information needed to process your request. Once your new policy is quoted by NFIP, accepted by you, and paid for by the Claims Office, there is a 30-day mandatory waiting period before the new NFIP policy(s) goes into effect. Claimants may request to ensure multiple structures which will each receive their own NFIP policy.
How to Receive No-Cost Flood Insurance
There are two ways to secure flood insurance as an individual or business through the Claims Office:
- The Claims Office can pay up to five-years of new flood insurance coverage through the NFIP.
- The Claims Office will procure a new policy for your property and pay the premium on your behalf.
- If you purchased a flood insurance policy on your own and were not required to carry flood insurance before April 6, 2022, you may be eligible to be reimbursed for the premiums you paid between April 6, 2022, and December 20, 2024.
- If you hold a current flood insurance policy that you purchased after the fire, you may be eligible to transition that policy to the NFIP policy offered through the Claims Office for additional years of coverage.
- The number of annual premiums already reimbursed to you for your property’s past coverage will be deducted from the number of renewals that the rolled over Claims Office NFIP policy is eligible for.
- You cannot hold two flood insurance policies at once, so send your request to roll over to the Hermit’s Peak/NFIP program at least 60 days in advance of your current policy expiration.
You May Be Eligible for a NFIP Policy, if:
- You submitted an NOL on or before December 20, claiming flood insurance coverage.
- You were not required to carry flood insurance prior to the start of the fire on April 6, 2022.
- Your property is in an NFIP-participating community in Mora and San Miguel counties, or your property is outside of these counties but in proximity to the burn scar and you can demonstrate an increased risk of flooding.
- The structure you want to insure has two or more outside rigid walls with a fully secured roof and is affixed to a permanent foundation.
You May NOT Be Eligible for a NFIP Policy, if:
- Your property was required to carry flood insurance before the fire, including if the property is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area and you have a federally backed mortgage, or you previously accepted a FEMA disaster grant with a Group Flood Insurance Policy (GFIP).
- Your home or property is not located in a NFIP-participating community. However, claimants in non-participating NFIP communities may be reimbursed for flood insurance purchased through the private market.
- The following are non-participating communities in proximity to the fire and subsequent flooding:
- Village of Eagle Nest (Colfax County)
- Village of Pecos (San Miguel County)
- Village of Mosquero (San Miguel/ Harding County)
- Village of Wagon Mound (Mora County)
- Picuris Pueblo (Taos County)
- Taos Pueblo (Taos County)
- Your property has no standing structures with two or more outside rigid walls with a fully secured roof and is not affixed to a permanent foundation (NFIP cannot insure RVs or mobile homes on wheels)
- You received a Group Flood Insurance Policy (GFIP) as part of the Individual Assistance program after the fire. These policies have an obtain and maintain flood insurance requirement. After these policies expire, claimants will need to purchase a standard flood insurance policy (SFIP) through a local insurance agent before the GFIP expires. Claimants cannot carry both a GFIP and a Hermit’s Peak/NFIP policy simultaneously.
If You Are a Current Claimant
- If you are a current claimant that has an NOL pending with the Claims Office, please contact the Claims Office to add the request for a flood insurance policy to your current claim.
Coverage Amounts
- Homeowners can be insured up to $250,000 for the structure and up to $100,000 for building contents
- Residential renters can insure contents up to $100,000
- Non-residential property owners can insure a structure for up to $500,000 and its contents for up to $500,000
- Non-residential renters, such as businesses, can insure contents up to $500,000
- Deductibles will be $2,000 for buildings and $2,000 for contents
- Deductibles may be covered by the Claims Office.
- For any damage related to the fire before a new policy is in effect, including during the 30-day waiting period, losses may be compensable through the Claims Office.
How to File a Claim for a Flood Insurance Policy
If you have already submitted an NOL and would like to discuss eligibility for a flood insurance policy, reach out to your navigator to discuss options or contact the Claims Office at any of our three offices located at Santa Fe, Las Vegas or Mora.
If you have not yet submitted an NOL, but would like to discuss your eligibility for a flood insurance policy through the Claims Office:
- Contact the Claims Office Helpline, 24/7 at 505-995-7133
- Contact us via email, fema-hermits-peak@fema.dhs.gov.
The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act provides that compensation through the Claims Office it is not taxable income and will not impact eligibility for other federal benefits including social security or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Contact a tax professional for specific tax-related questions. For more information contact your claim Navigator or the Claims Office Helpline available 24/7 at 505-995-7133, phones are staffed from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Thursday.
For information and updates regarding the Claims Office, please visit the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office website at fema.gov/hermits-peak. For information in Spanish, visit fema.gov/es/hermits-peak. You can also follow our Facebook page and turn notifications on to stay up to date about the claims process, upcoming deadlines and other program announcements at facebook.com/HermitsPeakCalfCanyonClaimsOffice.