It's now been about three weeks since historic flooding hit the Eastern Ozarks, especially in Wayne County, Missouri. The storms hit the area between July 9th and 11th, wiping out infrastructure and causing major property damage after several inches of rain fell in a short amount of time.
To help provide relief, consumer specialists with the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance are participating in a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) in Reynolds County to answer insurance questions about damage to homes and businesses caused by the recent flash floods.
According to a press release from the Department of Commerce and Insurance, the resource center will bring together recovery resources for communities, and the consumer specialists will answer questions, help residents understand their insurance policies and the claims process, and provide company contact information.
Gina Thomas, Consumer Affairs Director for the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, said the Resource Center assembles several major government agencies to assist with emergencies and has mental health counseling available.
“The state of Missouri has found that these multi-agency resource centers are extremely beneficial to communities that have been affected,” Thomas said. “It can pull together your state agencies and your non-governmental agencies such as Red Cross, Foundation Army, Catholic Charities, Center Sadducees Foundation-all those services in one location for all your basic human services needs.”
While flood insurance does exist, most homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding damage. Coverage must be purchased through a separate policy; homeowners may be able to check their policies for exclusions such as water damage.
Typically, flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program, often with a 30-day waiting period after the date of purchase.
“A separate policy has to be purchased to cover flood damage. Typically, it's purchased in the National Flood Insurance Program, but there are also private insurers as well,” Thomas said. “There are exclusions under a homeowner's policy for water damage, and we want to take the time to help explain those exclusions to folks. And on the auto insurance side, if you've had an automobile affected and you carry comprehensive coverage, we can certainly help folks understand and navigate that claims process as well.”
Policyholders with questions or concerns about their insurance coverage can call DCI’s Consumer Hotline at 800-726-7390 or visit insurance.mo.gov/consumers.
The Multi-Agency Resource Center is available and free for residents on Friday, July 24, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. and Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m at 2316 Green Street, Centerville, MO.
Earlier in the month, Gov. Mike Kehoe declared a State of Emergency and activated the State Emergency Operations Plan in response to the ongoing severe storms and life-threatening flash flooding.