Hurricane Helene brought major damage, spotlighting lack of flood insurance

Hurricane Helene's destructive path across the Southeast has spotlighted a lack of flood insurance in the U.S. One estimate from FEMA says just 4% of homeowners in the country have coverage.

Officials have yet to release damage estimates, but USA Today previously reported that insured residential and commercial property damage is worth at least $3 billion in Florida and Georgia, according to financial services company CoreLogic. The event is one of the deadliest hurricanes to make landfall on the U.S. mainland, causing more than 100 deaths. Most of the damage is due to storm surge and flooding.

Amy Bach, executive director of the consumer advocacy group United Policyholders, said some homeowners aren’t aware that flood insurance has to be paid separately.

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