BATON ROUGE — As hurricane season progresses, Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon is advising that ਍瀀爀漀瀀攀爀琀礀 漀眀渀攀爀猀 琀愀欀攀 愀 挀氀漀猀攀爀 氀漀漀欀 愀琀 琀栀攀椀爀 瀀漀氀椀挀椀攀猀 琀漀 洀愀欀攀 猀甀爀攀 挀漀瘀攀爀愀最攀 椀猀 愀搀攀焀甀愀琀攀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀瀀㸀䐀漀渀攀氀漀渀 椀猀 琀漀甀爀椀渀最 琀栀攀 猀琀愀琀攀 眀椀琀栀 昀愀挀琀猀Ⰰ 昀椀最甀爀攀猀 愀渀搀 愀搀瘀椀挀攀 愀戀漀甀琀 琀栀攀 椀洀瀀愀挀琀 漀昀 猀攀瘀攀爀攀 眀攀愀琀栀攀爀⸀ 䠀攀 猀愀椀搀 琀栀愀琀ഀഀ although 2005 was an unusually bad year, there's no reason to think Louisiana won't be subject to damage ਍愀最愀椀渀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀瀀㸀∀䄀猀 眀攀 洀漀瘀攀 搀攀攀瀀攀爀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀攀 栀攀愀爀琀 漀昀 栀甀爀爀椀挀愀渀攀 猀攀愀猀漀渀Ⰰ 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 椀渀猀瀀攀挀琀 琀栀攀椀爀 瀀漀氀椀挀椀攀猀 琀漀 猀攀攀 眀栀愀琀 琀栀攀礀✀爀攀ഀഀ paying and what is covered," the commissioner said. "The deductible, contents coverage and the insured value ਍漀渀 琀栀攀椀爀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀攀 愀爀攀 椀洀瀀漀爀琀愀渀琀 琀栀椀渀最猀 琀漀 最漀 漀瘀攀爀 眀椀琀栀 礀漀甀爀 愀最攀渀琀⸀∀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀瀀㸀䠀甀爀爀椀挀愀渀攀猀 䬀愀琀爀椀渀愀 愀渀搀 刀椀琀愀 挀愀甀猀攀搀 愀渀 攀猀琀椀洀愀琀攀搀 ␀㄀㤀⸀㌀ 戀椀氀氀椀漀渀 椀渀 椀渀猀甀爀攀搀 氀漀猀猀攀猀 椀渀 䰀漀甀椀猀椀愀渀愀Ⰰ 栀攀 猀愀椀搀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀瀀㸀䔀瘀攀渀 琀栀漀猀攀 眀栀漀 氀椀瘀攀 漀甀琀猀椀搀攀 琀栀攀 瀀爀椀洀愀爀礀 栀甀爀爀椀挀愀渀攀ⴀ爀椀猀欀 愀爀攀愀猀 挀愀渀 昀攀攀氀 琀栀攀 昀漀爀挀攀 漀昀 猀琀漀爀洀猀 愀猀 琀栀攀礀 洀漀瘀攀 琀栀爀漀甀最栀ഀഀ the state, he said.

More than $24 million was paid to cover hurricane-related losses in Rapides Parish. More than $20 million was ਍瀀愀椀搀 琀漀 瀀漀氀椀挀礀栀漀氀搀攀爀猀 椀渀 䌀愀搀搀漀 倀愀爀椀猀栀 愀渀搀 渀攀愀爀氀礀 ␀㔀 洀椀氀氀椀漀渀 椀渀 䈀漀猀猀椀攀爀 倀愀爀椀猀栀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀瀀㸀䐀漀渀攀氀漀渀 猀愀椀搀 栀攀 椀猀 挀漀渀挀攀爀渀攀搀 愀戀漀甀琀 愀 搀爀漀瀀 椀渀 琀栀攀 渀甀洀戀攀爀 漀昀 昀氀漀漀搀 椀渀猀甀爀愀渀挀攀 瀀漀氀椀挀椀攀猀Ⰰ 瀀愀爀琀椀挀甀氀愀爀氀礀 椀渀 一攀眀ഀഀ Orleans. He said dropping that coverage is "foolhardy" because many places in the state are subject to flooding ਍戀礀 栀攀愀瘀礀 爀愀椀渀猀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀瀀㸀∀䤀琀✀猀 愀洀愀稀椀渀最 栀漀眀 昀愀猀琀 猀琀爀攀攀琀猀 挀愀渀 戀攀挀漀洀攀 爀愀瀀椀搀猀Ⰰ∀ 栀攀 猀愀椀搀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀瀀㸀䐀漀渀攀氀漀渀 猀愀椀搀 栀攀 瀀氀愀渀猀 琀漀 猀琀漀瀀 椀渀 䴀漀渀爀漀攀Ⰰ 眀栀攀爀攀 栀攀 眀椀氀氀 挀愀甀琀椀漀渀 琀栀愀琀 ∀瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 椀渀 一漀爀琀栀 䰀漀甀椀猀椀愀渀愀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 渀漀琀 昀愀氀氀ഀഀ into a false sense of security."

Northeast Louisiana is subject to flash flooding, he said.

"In the past year, the number of flood insurance policies sold in Louisiana has increased by 25 percent; ਍栀漀眀攀瘀攀爀Ⰰ 漀渀氀礀 ㌀㄀ 瀀攀爀挀攀渀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀 猀琀愀琀攀✀猀 栀漀甀猀攀栀漀氀搀猀 愀爀攀 挀漀瘀攀爀攀搀Ⰰ∀ 栀攀 猀愀椀搀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀瀀㸀䘀䔀䴀䄀 爀攀瀀漀爀琀猀 椀渀搀椀挀愀琀攀 琀栀愀琀 ㄀　　Ⰰ　　　 渀攀眀 昀氀漀漀搀 椀渀猀甀爀愀渀挀攀 瀀漀氀椀挀椀攀猀 眀攀爀攀 猀漀氀搀 椀渀 䰀漀甀椀猀椀愀渀愀 愀昀琀攀爀 琀栀攀 ㈀　　㔀ഀഀ hurricanes, but 14,613 of those new policies had not been renewed as of May.

National Flood Insurance Program reports show that after a hurricane, some of the most damaging floods occur ਍栀甀渀搀爀攀搀猀 漀昀 洀椀氀攀猀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 挀漀愀猀琀⸀ 唀瀀 琀漀 ㈀㔀 瀀攀爀挀攀渀琀 漀昀 愀氀氀 昀氀漀漀搀 挀氀愀椀洀猀 漀挀挀甀爀 漀甀琀猀椀搀攀 琀栀攀 昀氀漀漀搀瀀氀愀椀渀 椀渀 氀漀眀ⴀ 琀漀ഀഀ moderate-risk areas.

਍    㰀氀椀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀愀∀㸀䤀渀 琀栀攀 氀愀猀琀 ㄀　 礀攀愀爀猀Ⰰ 䰀漀甀椀猀椀愀渀愀 栀愀猀 攀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀搀 ㄀㄀ 昀氀漀漀搀ⴀ爀攀氀愀琀攀搀Ⰰ 昀攀搀攀爀愀氀氀礀 搀攀挀氀愀爀攀搀 搀椀猀愀猀琀攀爀猀⸀㰀⼀氀椀㸀ഀഀ
• There is a 26-percent chance of experiencing a flood during the life of a 30-year mortgage, compared to ਍愀 㤀ⴀ瀀攀爀挀攀渀琀 挀栀愀渀挀攀 漀昀 昀椀爀攀⸀㰀⼀氀椀㸀ഀഀ
• Losses due to flooding are not covered under typical homeowner and business insurance policies.
਍㰀氀椀㸀伀瘀攀爀 琀栀攀 瀀愀猀琀 昀椀瘀攀 栀甀爀爀椀挀愀渀攀 猀攀愀猀漀渀猀Ⰰ 椀渀猀甀爀攀搀 昀氀漀漀搀 氀漀猀猀攀猀 椀渀 䰀漀甀椀猀椀愀渀愀 琀漀琀愀氀攀搀 洀漀爀攀 琀栀愀渀 ␀㄀㌀⸀㐀 戀椀氀氀椀漀渀⸀㰀⼀氀椀㸀ഀഀ
• About 96 percent of flood insurance claims in Louisiana have occurred during hurricane season over the ਍瀀愀猀琀 ㄀　 礀攀愀爀猀⸀㰀⼀氀椀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀⼀甀氀㸀ഀഀ ਍ഀഀ ਍ഀഀ ਍ഀഀ