North Dakota Flood Insurance Policies Down Slightly

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The number of flood insurance policies issued to North Dakota residents so far this year is down slightly from last year, despite predictions of high water and an emergency declaration request for about one-third of the state’s counties, federal officials said on March 15.

Flood insurance reports typically have a 90-day lag period and it’s possible people are waiting until the last minute to buy flood insurance this year, so the numbers could jump in the next report, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said.

Policies must be in effect for 30 days before any flood damage is covered, said FEMA spokesman Dave Kyner.

“In my opinion, they should have already bought it,” Kyner said.

The most notable drop so far is in Grand Forks County, where purchases are down by more than 40 percent, officials said.

Kyner said many Grand Forks residents are no longer designated on the more risky flood plain because of the city’s protective levee and floodwall system, so they’ve opted not to buy insurance.

“Indirectly people think that they’re safe, when in fact they’re not,” Kyner said. “We have too many examples where that has been done in too many other parts of the country.”

Kevin Dean, public information officer for the city of Grand Forks, said residents trust the $410 million flood protection system installed after the 1997 flood that devastated the city.

“We get asked all the time at service clubs and elsewhere whether we think people should buy flood insurance,” Dean said. “We lay out the facts, but ultimately it’s an individual decision. The confidence of the people has been restored from the low point in 1997, but no matter what project you build, you can’t give a 100 percent guarantee forever.”

The average National Flood Insurance Program policy costs about $1 day and is determined by such factors as where the resident lives, the amount of coverage, the size of the deductible, and the age, elevation and structure of the home.

Policy purchases are up in the state’s most populous county, where residents in Fargo and outlying areas are preparing for a third straight year of sandbagging along the Red River. Flood insurance in Cass County had increased from about 5,400 policies last year to about 6,700.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that Fargo has gotten the word,” Kyner said. “It has a lot to do with the frequency and severity of events. Those are big motivators.”

North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple is asking for a presidential disaster declaration for help with emergency protection in 17 counties and two American Indian reservations. A presidential declaration allows the federal government to cover 75 percent of eligible costs.