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Please contact the Division of Banking, Insurance and Financial Regulation on St. Croix 1131 King Street, Suite 101, 3rd Floor Christiansted, V.I. 00820 Tel: (340) 773-6459 Fax: (340) 719-3801 or St. Thomas Nisky Center, 2nd Floor 5049 Kongens Gade St. Thomas, V.I. 00802 Tel: (340) 774-7166 Fax: (340) 774-9458 Business Hours 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday Visit our website regularly to learn about Banking, Insurance and Financial Regulation services in the Territory. Website: ltg.gov.vi Take pictures of any property dam- age. Try to prevent further damage by cleaning and drying wet items. File a claim. Most insurance companies have a time requirement for reporting a claim, so contact your agent or compa- ny as soon as possible. The Division of Banking, Insurance and Financial Regu- lation can help you find contact infor- mation for your company, if you cannot find it. Protect your vehicle. Avoid driving in flood waters. Don’t drown, turn around. Have a plan. Learn the evacuation routes in your community and designate a point of contact outside of the U.S. Virgin Is- lands, in the event your family is separat- ed. If you are staying in your home dur- ing a flood event, go to the highest level of your home. If you are outdoors, move to higher ground and take shelter, if nec- essary. Prepare your home. Move items you want to protect from the floor and unplug electric items. Store your insurance information in a safe place. Regularly update your home- owners or renters insurance and use the home inventory to keep a record of your possessions. Also, keep track of records and receipts. Keep insurance agent and company contact information handy. In the event of a flood, make contact with your insur- er as soon as possible when it’s safe. Your policy may require you to notify the company within a certain time frame. Credit Dave Davis- From St. Croix Source Newspaper, Frederiksted Flooding Storm surge is produced by sea or ocean water being pushed towards the shore by the force of the winds moving cyclonically around the storm. The impact on surge of the low pressure associated with intense storms is minimal in comparison to the wa- ter being forced towards the shore by wind. Adding to the destructive power of surge, battering waves may increase damage to buildings directly along the coast. Water weighs approximately 1,700 pounds per cu- bic yard; extended pounding by frequent waves can demolish any structure not spe- cifically designed to withstand such forces. The two elements work together to increase the impact on land because the surge makes it possible for waves to extend inland. Additionally, currents created by tides com- bine with waves to severely erode beaches and coastal highways. Buildings that sur- vive strong hurricane winds can be dam- aged if their foundations are weakened by erosion. In harbors, the combination of storm tides, waves and currents can also severely dam- age marinas and boats. In estuaries and bayous, salt water intrusion endangers pub- lic health, kills vegetation, and can send animals, such as snakes, fleeing from flood- ed areas. The FEMA flood map service allows you to determine your flood risk. Risk levels are divided into three categories: High-risk areas have at least a 1 percent chance of flooding each year. Homeowners in these areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to buy flood insurance. Moderate-to low-risk areas have less than a 1 percent chance of flooding each year, but there is still a possibility of flood. Flood coverage is not required in these are- as, but it is recommended. Some mortgage lenders still require you to have flood insur- ance in non-high–risk areas. Undetermined risks are areas where flood-hazard analysis has yet to be conduct- ed, but risk still exists. It is important to note that approximately 20 percent of flood insurance claims come from outside of high-risk flood zones. Where it can rain, it can flood. According to FEMA, an inch of water in a home could cause more than $25,000 in damages. If you experience flooding and have not purchased flood insurance, you might experience fi- nancial ruin. If you are told by your lender that you must purchase flood insurance and you want to appeal that request, contact the Virgin Is- lands Department of Planning and Natural Resources for a review. The most important thing to understand about flood insurance is what it is not. A flood peril is not typically covered through most standard homeowners and renter’s in- surance policies. Flood insurance is separate coverage you can buy through an agent or insurer participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which FEMA manages or in some instances, through a pri- vate insurer. The NFIP provides coverage of up to $250,000 for the structure of a home and up to $100,000 for contents/personal property. If your agent or insurer does not sell flood coverage, contact the NFIP Referral Call Center at 1-800-427-4661. NFIP has trained and certified adjusters to determine whether water damage is due to a flood. NFIP has established a legal definition for a flood as follows: A flood is a general and temporary condition where 2 or more acres of normally dry land or 2 or more properties are covered by water or mud flow. Credit Bill Kossler- From St. Croix Source Newspaper, Frederiksted Flooding