Hurricane Helene devastated Florida and North Carolina. But one couple is having a hard time collecting their insurance money after FEMA denied them over what many would consider a ruthless technicality.
The Florida couple's living room flooded during Helene. However, the insurance denied them coverage because they classified the couple's living room as a basement. Jaime Giangrande-Holcom says flood waters from Helene ruined everything in the room. The large scale damage caused her to file a claim through he National Flood Insurance Program.
However, an insurance adjuster said the room wasn't covered. That's because it technically classifies as a basement. The adjuster said the three-and-a-half inch 'step down' from the entrance changed the classification of the room. The couples' insurance doesn't cover basements.
"It's ridiculous. To even come out and say the word "basement" in the state of Florida is comical," Jaime told WFLA. "I grew up in New York, and I know what a basement looks like. I lived in basements. This is not a basement."
Helene Insurance Claims
FEMA administers the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The couple had paid paid $3,800 for flood insurance, thinking it would cover them in the case of a storm like Helene. However, the NFIP classifies a basement as any area that is below ground level on all sides. The couple is hoping to prove FEMA and the insurance adjuster wrong.
"Measurement wise it's four-and-a-half inches coming up into our house, and it's a three-and-a-half inch stepdown into our 'basement'," she said.
Meanwhile, FEMA spoke out about the incident. Its response couldn't be less than helpful. The organization urged people to understand what their insurance policy does and does not cover. Thanks FEMA.
"The National Flood Insurance Program considers a sunken living room a basement when it has a floor below ground level (subgrade) on all sides," the spokesperson said. "In this situation the three-and-half inch stepdown (sunken) area of the referenced home is considered a basement and there would be limited coverage in this area as a result."
Until then, Helene has left the Florida couple in a dire situation. And help doesn't appear to be in abundance.
