N.H. private school says insurer didn’t do flood insurance homework; sues for buildings’ damages

St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H. has filed a lawsuit accusing its insurer of refusing to cover most of the $5 million the school has spent repairing buildings and grounds damaged by flooding.

In May, floodwaters tore up the road in front of the school’s Hargate Fine Arts Center and dumped more than four feet of water and mud in the building. The entryway of the campus post office was ripped away, carpets were ruined in a dormitory and the bottom floor of the library was soaked.

Most of the damage was repaired before students returned in the fall.

In August, Vice Rector for Students Doug Dickson said he hoped the school’s insurance policy would cover most of the repairs. But by then, the insurance company had already disputed the school’s claim, saying that most of the buildings were in “Flood Zone A” and not covered.

Travelers Indemnity Co. has denied coverage for the library, dorm, fine arts center and central heating plant, saying those buildings were in a flood zone and therefore not covered. After an unsuccessful appeal, the school responded with a federal lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, the Federal Emergency Management Agency inspected the campus and concluded that the dorm, the fine arts center and the heating plant were outside the flood zone. The school argues that even if a building is partly in the flood zone, any damaged sections outside the zone should be entitled to coverage.

The school’s insurance policy allows for up to $10 million for flood damage as long as the affected area is not in a flood zone. The insurer has until mid-January to respond in court.

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Topics Lawsuits Carriers Flood