Flood debris piles left in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Bat Cave, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Flood insurance. It’s something that most people have heard of and that many probably have a notion they should look into as the climate warms and severe storms grow more frequent.

To their credit, some have done more than think about it. As NC Newsline’s Galen Bacharier reported this week, about 10 percent of businesses and five percent of homeowners in western North Carolina actually had flood insurance prior to Hurricane Helene and were, quite understandably, counting on their policies to help them rebuild in the aftermath of the disaster.

Unfortunately, as Bacharier also reported, that’s often not been the case. In numerous instances, it’s taken several months for the policyholders to collect and even then, many payments have been only partial. Many other claims have been denied outright based on technicalities and other questionable grounds.

The bottom line: the industry’s failure to aid people and businesses in need cries out for better government oversight of flood insurance policies to protect consumers. If state and federal policymakers are serious about their pledges to aid disaster victims, they’ll make it an immediate top priority.

For NC Newsline, I’m Rob Schofield.