January 28, 2011
By: Jana Bell
Some residents of Bellevue, Michigan, could find themselves paying more in home insurance due to a new Federal Emergency Management Agency map which places their homes in flood zones, according to the Battle Creek Enquirer.
Local man Keith Haley told the newspaper he recently received word from his home insurance company that he would have to buy flood insurance by the end of January. He has since begun to campaign online and in the neighborhood against the rate increases and new requirements, the Enquirer added.
"I'm just trying to wake everybody up and let them know what is going on," Haley told the paper. "I'm trying to organize people to write their congressman and ask when enough is enough?"
The National Flood Insurance Program's Les Thomas admitted the maps had changed, but asserted that the total number of at-risk homes had not, according to the Enquirer.
Recent heavy flooding in California - which prompted President Barack Obama to declare some portions of the state federal disaster areas - highlights the importance of having flood insurance.
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- Thousands of St. Louis insurance claims cite recent hail damage May 22, 2012
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