If you have recently looked at the FEMA web site looking for a specific bulletin related to NFIP claims, you might have noticed the site has changed.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Claims Manual effective August 30, 2018 has a new look and a new feel.1 The FEMA web site states:2

“This manual improves clarity of flood insurance claims guidance to NFIP Write Your Own (WYO) companies, flood vendors, flood adjusters and examiners, so that policyholders experience consistency and reliability of service.”

The Claims Manual now has an entire section devoted to “Claims Processes and Guidance.” It has been rewritten and now incorporates several bulletins that were previously available for viewing on their web site.

Under “Claims Processes and Guidance” there are 53 sub-sections:

1. Adjuster Preliminary Damage Assessment
2. Advance Payments
3. Appraisal
4. Claims Adjustment
5. Claims Closed Without Payment Reasons
6. Communications from Attorneys, Public Adjusters and Other Policyholder Representatives
7. Condominium Claims Handling
8. Contents Manipulation
9. Cooperative Buildings
10. Countertops
11. Debris Removal
12. Electronic Signatures
13. Expense Payments
14. Flood-In-Progress
15. GFIP Claims Handling
16. Guidance on the Use of Outside Professional Services
17. General Adjuster (GA) Re-inspection Request
18. Identification of Building Equipment, Appliances, Electronics, and Mechanicals
19. Improvements and Betterments
20. Increased Cost of Compliance
21. Inspection
22. Letter of Map Amendment/Letter of Map Revision
23. Lowest Elevated Floor Determination
24. Manufactured (Mobile) Home/Travel Trailer Worksheet
25. Non-Waiver Agreement
26. Notice of Loss
27. Overhead and Profit
28. Payment and Paying Undisputed Loss
29. Perimeter Wall Sheathing
30. Photographs
31. Porches
32. Prior Loss Request
33. Prompt Communications
34. Proof of Loss/Increased Cost of Compliance Waiver Request Process
35. Property Address Waiver
36. Property Related to Controlled Substances
37. Release of Claim File Information to Policyholders
38. Remediation, Drying, and Emergency Service Contractors
39. Reporting
40. Requests for Additional Payment
41. Reservation of Rights
42. Salvage
43. SFHAs and Non-SFHAs
44. Special Allocated Loss Adjustment Expense Processes (SALAE)
45. Statute of Limitations
46. Subrogation
47. Underwriting Referral
48. Waiver of Elevated Building Coverage Limitation
49. Wildfires
50. Wind/Flood Loss
51. Withdrawal Letters and Denial Letters
52. Oversight
53. Claim Overpayment Recovery

Here is a screen shot of what you can expect to see:

At the National Flood Insurance Conference that I attended last summer, the FEMA representatives explained that they have pulled approximately 90% of the bulletins from the web site and once the bulletin is put in the claims manual it will end for public viewing. This should provide a more streamlined way to view flood claims processes guidance on particular topics.
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1 https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1536338311117-93fac65d36325428860d439967cc7c13/FEMA_NFIP_Claims_Manual_2018.pdf
2 https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/169284