Only 31 in Cape County signed up for flood insurance since March 18

Since heavy rains hit the region March 18, 629 people in Cape Girardeau County have asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for help to move, repair their homes or to cover other expenses caused by the disaster.

But only 31 flood insurance claims have been filed.

That striking difference has FEMA officials pushing for more people to buy policies through the National Flood Insurance Program because federal flood recovery assistance isn't designed to cover all, or even most, of the costs associated with flood damage.

There are 2,100 buildings in Cape Girardeau County in areas considered to be flood-prone, known in FEMA jargon as special flood hazard areas, said Greg Coulson, a FEMA flood plain management specialist. Of those, only 300 are enrolled in the flood insurance program.

Flooding is the most common cause of damage to a home nationwide, Coulson said, more likely than fires or tornadoes. "Over the life of a 30 year mortgage, there is a 26 percent chance of flood damage" to a home in a flood-prone area, Coulson said. "That is a much higher risk than a fire."