Flood Insurance Effective Date Change

Some people who bought or upgraded flood insurance and were not covered during last year’s Missouri River flooding may be covered for damages after all.

The Bismarck Tribune reports that Gov. Jack Dalrymple and the North Dakota congressional delegation announced Tuesday that the new five-year National Flood Insurance Program reauthorization bill changes the date the flood insurance had to be purchased retroactively.

The original cut-off date last year to purchase insurance had been May 1, and many homeowners were deemed ineligible for coverage because FEMA said the 30-day window to buy the insurance did not apply to last year’s flood.

The new bill changes the date to June 6, 2011, provided the property was not damaged for 30 days after the purchase date.