LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — People whose homes flooded along the Arkansas River are left to deal with the mess and the cost of repair.
All of the flooding in Arkansas has highlighted the lack of flood insurance in the state.
“It’s overwhelming, to say the least, because we had it set up pretty nice and we were doing quite well,” Floyd Haley said.
Haley has lived in his home in the Willow Beach neighborhood in North Little Rock for 20 years. This is the first time his home has flooded. Haley was required to have flood insurance when he purchased the home.
"You think ‘Well, I've got everything covered and in good shape,’ he said.
But what he did not know, was that none of his contents would be covered. Insurance will only pay for damages to the home; not furniture or appliances.
"Especially when you thought you had it and you didn't…that's the frustration of it,” Haley said.
Insurance commissioner Allen Kerr said most people only get the insurance amount that is required by their lender which is the amount they owe on the mortgage.
“The agents should have really pointed out to them that you don’t have contents insurance and made that available to them,” Kerr said.
If your contents are not covered, Kerr said you should still file a claim on your flood policy.
“They’ll get a declination of contents coverage on that flood policy. They can take that declination to FEMA and maybe get four to five thousand dollars,” he said.
Kerr says only five percent of Arkansans have flood insurance. So, if you are not covered at all, Kerr said to file a homeowner's claim on your homeowner's insurance.
“FEMA likes to make sure you’ve exhausted all aspects and avenues before they make a claim with them,” Kerr said.
Kerr said there will also be federal benefits with low-cost loans and some grants available in a few weeks for those who have no insurance at all.