Almost no one impacted by the September flooding disaster had flood insurance. Here's why.

PROVIDENCE − Almost no one affected by the severe flooding in Providence County in mid-September 2023 had flood insurance, and losses are in the millions, according to the state's request for a federal emergency declaration.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden declared the Sept. 10-13 flooding a major disaster, unlocking funding and access to programs through the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as the Small Business Administration.

Gov. Dan McKee filed the state's request for an emergency declaration to Biden on Nov. 8, citing an estimate of $1.6 million in uninsured losses, based on the preliminary damage assessment.

The SBA later put its estimate at $5 million, and those were only damages that agents could identify in person.

What that means: Catastrophic September floods declared a federal disaster.

The request for an emergency declaration includes estimates of losses: the rescues cities and towns had to perform to get people out of flooded apartments and floating cars, and the damage done to public, private and commercial properties.

Flood risk growing in New England: Collapsed roads, flooded basements, submerged cars

Among the findings in the report:

• Most of the people affected were middle- and low-income families "without sufficient financial means to replace property and to make repairs to real property"

• As of November, many families were still without functional heating and cooling systems

• Most of the residences that flooded had not been flooded before

• Just 1% of people had flood insurance

• Almost none of the flooded residences were in a known flood plain

• The state's housing crisis has exacerbated problems for those displaced by the flooding, especially those without housing after condemnation of the Dean Estates apartment complex

What does the declaration mean?

The declaration means federal disaster assistance will become available to those who were affected in Providence County. Federal assistance includes grants from FEMA for things like temporary housing and home repairs, as well as extremely low interest (2%) loans for renters and homeowners through the Small Business Administration.

Initial applications can be made at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/

Almost no one carried flood insurance

Most of the flooding affected houses and apartments that were not in a flood plain. As a result, almost no one was carrying flood insurance, according to the report.

Of the apartments and houses hit by the flooding, just 1% had flood insurance.

Even for those people who did have flood insurance, which is usually purchased from the federal flood insurance program, additional living expenses while a home is uninhabitable are not covered.

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Contributed to DocumentCloud by Wheeler Cowperthwaite (The Providence Journal) • View document or read text

While having no flood insurance is bad, what's worse is that many basements flooded, where some of the most expensive systems in a house are located, like furnaces and cooling systems. For others, the flooding meant raw sewage backed up into their homes or basements.

"The preponderance of damage from flooding with no requirement for flood insurance is a critical factor, especially with HVAC systems damaged in many homes," according to the report.

Making matters worse, multiple storms since the September floods have caused damage, stretching an already tight labor market. Contractors, plumbers and other tradespeople are often either booked, or people who do have insurance are getting priority, according to the report.

They nearly drowned in their apartments: Now, residents of Dean Estates wonder where they'll go.

The housing crisis makes everything worse

Rhode Island's ongoing housing crisis, marked by sky-high rents, low inventory and home prices that are up by 50%, is exacerbating all the problems faced by those whose homes were flooded, according to the report.

"Providence County includes middle- and low-income families, and it was those families that suffered the most damage," according to the report. "Apartment and housing stock availability is scarce and expensive."

Cost estimates likely to rise

The initial damage assessment showed eight "destroyed apartments," 23 houses with major damage, 151 houses with minor damage and "141 affected homes," according to the report.

The Dean Estates apartments were condemned, resulting in the sidelining of 48 apartment units.

But there are probably more people affected by the storm than the investigators initially identified, according to the report.

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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: September flooding resulted in millions in uninsured damage