BRIEF: FEMA extends deadline for Hurricane Matthew-related flood insurance claims

Feb. 07--Property owners with lingering flood insurance claims from Hurricane Matthew are getting extra time to finalize their paperwork.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued an extension waiver last week giving affected policyholders in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia an additional 60 days to complete a signed and sworn Proof of Loss statement.

This is the second such extension from FEMA.

Typically, the National Flood Insurance Program requires detailed estimates and documentation of the cost to replace or repair damaged property to be filed within 60 days of the event.

Matthew swept up the east coast of the United States early last October, making landfall in Florida as a category 4 hurricane and causing massive flooding across several states before heading out to sea.

In Virginia Beach alone, more than 1,400 homes were damaged. Communities from the Outer Banks to the Virginia Peninsula reported tens of millions of dollars in damage, and insurance companies reported receiving thousands of claims in the weeks that followed.

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