Californians Urged To Buy Flood Insurance Ahead Of El Niño
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Federal emergency officials are urging Californians to buy flood insurance — even those who don't live near creeks or rivers — as El Niño conditions get underway in the Pacific Ocean, increasing chances for heavy storms this winter.
The San Jose Mercury News reports Roy Wright, a deputy associate administrator at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, encouraged Californians to take the threat of El Nino seriously.
Wright said Friday that if there ever was a time to buy flood insurance "this is that time."
Forecasters say that January, February and March are expected to get the brunt of this winter's heavy rainfall across California.
Wright says there is a 30-day waiting period for new flood insurance policies to go into effect.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
