City of Coos Bay and Flood Insurance, Feb. 3

Flood insurance
The City of Coos Bay has recently received information from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that pertains to property owners who have flood insurance and are currently implementing or have recently implemented loss avoidance measures against flooding.  The NFIP has two categories for loss avoidance measures: “Sandbags, Supplies, and Labor” and “Property Removed from Safety”.  Sandbags, supplies, and labor include the reasonable expense that incurred from the purchase of the sandbags and the material and labor required to fill the sandbags.  Loss avoidance measures under this definition also include pumps, plastic sheeting and lumber.  Property owners will be eligible for a reimbursement up to $1,000 for material and labor if there is imminent threat of flood to the insured property or the property is being evacuated by a legally authorized official.  The second category relates to “property removed to safety”.  The NFIP policy language states, “We [NFIP] will pay up to $1,000 for the reasonable expenses you incur to move insured property to a place other than the described location that contains the property in order to protect it from flood or the imminent danger of flood.”  If you feel that you qualify for this reimbursement, the City of Coos Bay would like to encourage property owners to contact their flood insurance agent as soon as possible.  The City of Coos Bay would like to clarify that this opportunity is not only for city residents but all residents in the surrounding areas that have implemented loss avoidance measures and have flood insurance.  If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact the City’s Public Works & Development Department at 541-269-8918 to discuss further.