Lissa Harris in The Watershed Post reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is extending deadlines for filing a Proof of Loss claims through the National Flood Insurance program for damage from Hurricane Irene (now 150 days) or Tropical Storm Lee (120 days) in New York State. Harris quotes a FEMA press release:

The POL, which must be signed and witnessed, is the statement of the amount claimed under the NFIP policy. After a flood, property owners contact their insurance agent, report the damaged property and meet with an adjuster. NFIP policy requirements state that in the case of loss, a POL form must be filed with the insurance company within 60 days of the event that caused the damage. The POL must include a detailed estimate and other supporting documentation to replace or repair the flood-damaged property. The adjuster may, as a courtesy, provide a POL but the property owner is responsible for making sure that it is complete, accurate and filed in a timely manner. Because of the magnitude of affected states and the number of flood claims filed, extensions for deadlines for submitting the Proof of Loss forms in New York State are:
• For dates of loss between Aug. 12 and Aug. 26, 2011, the policyholder has 120 days from the date of loss to file the POL.
• For dates of loss between Aug. 26 and Sept. 4, 2011, (Hurricane Irene) the policyholder has 150 days from the date of loss to file the POL.
• For dates of loss between Sept. 5 and Sept. 22, 2011, (Tropical Storm Lee) the policyholder has 120 days from the date of loss to file the POL.

Read the full story in The Watershed Post, and tune in to The Watershed Post's "Half-Hour News Hour" at 3 p.m. Wed. Nov. 30 on WGXC.