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Flood Insurance Purchase RequirementsNFIP:Fayette County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which makes federally backed flood insurance available for all eligible buildings, whether they are in a floodplain or not. Flood insurance covers direct losses caused by surface flooding, including a river flowing over its banks, a lake or ocean storm, and local drainage problems. The NFIP insures buildings, including mobile homes, with two types of coverage: building and contents. Building coverage is for the walls, floors, insulation, furnace, and other items permanently attached to the structure. Contents coverage may be purchased separately, if the contents are in an insurable building. Mandatory Purchase Requirement:The Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 and the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 made the purchase if flood insurance mandatory for federally backed mortgages on buildings located in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). It also affected all forms of Federal or federally related financial assistance for buildings located in SFHAs. The SFHA is the base (100-year) floodplain mapped on a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM). It is shown as one or more zones that begin with the letter “A” or “V”. The rule applies to secured mortgage loans from such financial institutions as commercial lenders, savings and loan association, savings banks, and credit unions that are regulated, supervised, or insured by Federal agencies such as Federal Insurance Corporation and the Office of Thrift Supervision. It also applies to all mortgage loans purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in the secondary mortgage market. Federal financial assistance programs affected by the law include loans and grants from agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Small Business Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
How it Works:Lenders are required to complete a Standard Flood Hazard Determination (SFHD) form whenever they make, increase, extend, or renew a mortgage, home equity, home improvement, commercial, or farm credit loan to determine if the building or manufactured (mobile) homes is in an SFHA. It is the federal agency’s or lender’s responsibility to check the current Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) to determine if the building is in an SFHA. Copies of the FIRM are available for review in the Fayette County Library and the Fayette County Stormwater Management Office. Lenders may also have copies or they use a flood zone determination company to provide the SFHD form. If the building is in a SFHA, the Federal agency or lender is required by law to require the recipient to purchase a flood insurance policy on the building. Federal regulations require building coverage equal to the amount of the loan (excluding appraised value of the land) or the maximum amount available for single-family residence is $250,000. Government sponsored enterprises, such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, have stricter requirements. The mandatory purchase requirement does not affect loans or financial assistance for items that are not covered by a flood insurance policy, such as vehicles, business expenses, landscaping, and vacant lots. It does not affect loans for buildings that are not in an SFHA, even though a portion of the lot may be. While not mandated by law, a lender may require a flood insurance policy, as a condition of a loan, for a property in any zone on a FIRM. If a person feels that a SFHD form incorrectly places the property in the SFHA, he or she may requires a Letter of Map Determination Review from FEMA. This must be submitted within 45 days of the determination. More information can be found at http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/fhm/fq_gen11.shtm. Floodplain ManagementFayette County participates in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) National Flood Insurance Program , which ensures that federally backed flood insurance is available for all buildings within the County, whether they are in a flood plain or not. |
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