The water is still receding in some places and while the wet carpet and damaged sheet rock waits to be removed, the bills are starting to come in. The unprecedented rains of August will go on the record books not only for climatological reasons but for the cost of repair and recovery  around the state.

That's the word from the National Flood Insurance Program. When you consider that the high water affected many homes and businesses that did not have flood insurance the actual cost will be even higher.  The NFIP says this weather event is the most costly non-tropical event the agency has ever had to deal with.

Katrina number one, Sandy number two, Ike number three, and this or Ivan. This will be Ivan equivalent to the National Flood Insurance Program.

That's what State Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon told the Louisiana Radio Network. Donelon said there have already been over 28-thousand flood claims filed as a result of damages sustained in the flood. He fully expects that number to exceed 30-thousand before too much longer.

Donelon says his office has been fielding a significant number of phone calls from frustrated residents who aren't completely sure what their flood coverage actually entails. Donelon suggests that all homeowners contact their insurance provider and get clarification on what their policy actually covers.

I’m not proud to say this. This event has me calling sometime today after this meeting my agent to see that I have the max contents coverage on my house.

Donelon went to say that homes were not the only big ticket items that were damaged by the flooding. Many of the state's auto insurance companies are experiencing a high volume of claims in regards to vehicles that were damaged or declared total losses in the flood.

We anticipate that ultimately 60,000 to 65,000 insured vehicles will be totaled and paid for by the insurance that’s in place for those vehicles.

If we have learned anything from this event it's that floods can happen anywhere, at anytime, to anybody, you don't have to live in a flood zone to have high water issues. We encourage you to contact your insurance provider or the NFIP to verify your coverage and make sure that your home, cars, and family are completely taken care of in the event the unthinkable happens again.

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