[StBernard] MR. HUNNICUT ON CHANNEL 8 NEWS

[Westley Annis]

Lori:
 
The "blue zone" was a pilot program with the Federal Government, FEMA or HUD
I suppose, where entire areas were surveyed and satellite views were taken,
with the results being the average amount of water that an area received.
State Farm, and I was told Allstate, participated in the program.  The
premise was that is did not make sense to delay payments related to flood
damage when satellite photos and other documentation eliminated the need for
individual inspections of homes.  (For flood insurance only; anything above
the water line would be considered wind damage covered under Homeowners, and
an individual inspection was required.)  

>From personal experience, this program should have been mandatory for all

insurance companies.  I spent a great deal of time preparing a spreadsheet
of household contents and took numerous pictures of everything we were
discarding (which will still be of value come income tax time), but when
State Farm contacted me in the latter part of September, we spent 15 minutes
on the phone while I was driving and was then advised that State Farm had
enough information to pay me the maximum amount of my flood policy for
structure and contents, and that anything I could salvage was mine.  
 
There is not much to argue about when you are paid the maximum amount of
coverage you purchased, plus the fact that I wasn't there and received my
insurance payment within a week of our conversation.
 
I hope this information is of benefit.
 
John Richardson