A statewide insurance association says the Halloween flooding in Austin caused more than $30 million in insured damages to residential and commercial properties.
More than 580 insured homes and commercial properties in Hays, Travis and Caldwell counties were damaged by the floodwater, according to the figures released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the Insurance Council of Texas.
“This is a partial picture, obviously," says council spokesperson Mark Hanna. "Even these people who insured losses of 30 million. They’re going to have lost more than that. The flood coverage is not going to cover everything they lost."
The figures also do not include cars and automobiles lost in the floods, nor does it include Onion Creek and Dove Springs properties that were under-insured or uninsured.
Most of the damages occurred in Travis County, totaling $28 million. Hays County residents reported $69 claims totaling around $1.7 million and Caldwell County residents reported a total of $227,000 in damages.
Still, the state is having a hard time getting federal aid for those affected by the flooding. Last week, FEMA denied Governor Rick Perry’s appeal for federal aid for individuals. In the past, FEMA gives assistance in disasters when more than 850 homes are damaged or destroyed. County officials say the floods affected around 700 homes.
