Fire & Life Safety

Flood-ravaged district in Texas says insurance won't cover damages

Deweyville district says insurer will cover only $1 million of an estimated $12.5 million in damages sustained in March flooding.
April 4, 2016

Working to resume classes in the aftermath of flooding last month that left its elementary school under water, the Deweyville (Texas) district has been informed that its insurance will not cover millions in flood damages.

The Beaumont Enterprise reports that the district is negotiating with its insurer about how to cover the $11.5 million gap between estimated damages and what the insurer has indicated it would pay.

Superintendent Kevin Clark says the district believed all of its buildings were covered, but the insurer, North American Solutions, contends that buildings in zones considered more of a flood risk were not covered.

NAS has offered to pay $1 million of $12.5 million in estimated losses, Clark says. If the district cannot get a larger insurance reimbursement, it plans to seek FEMA grants.

Deweyville's elementary school was among many buildings in the town that were inundated in mid-March by the flooding of the Sabine River. Classes have been canceled since the flooding.

The district is preparing to resume classes on April 11 after losing three weeks of instruction. Students from the elementary school will be housed on Deweyville's high school campus, which was spared from floodwaters. 

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy, senior editor, has written for AS&U on a wide range of educational issues since 1999.

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