State officials are working on a plan to have auto body shops in Mississippi offer free inspections of cars that were potentially underwater during flooding or hurricanes, says Mike Chaney, the state insurance commissioner.
The announcement was made at the Greenwood Voters League meeting Wednesday night, but it won’t be official until next week.
“We are working on a plan ... for every body shop, that they will inspect those cars free of charge and tell you whether it has been in a flood,” Chaney said. “We get the Vehicle Identification Number; we put them in a database; it is just that quick. We can tell you if the car has been underwater.”
Chaney said cars that have been underwater are considered totaled and should not be bought. These types of vehicles cannot be retitled in Mississippi.
“You can buy a car really cheap that has been underwater,” Chaney said. “What happens is, about six months later you have salt water in all the electrical wiring, and the car’s brakes go out. You are pushing the brake pedal, and it doesn’t stop.”
This is just one scenario, but driving a formerly flooded car could be dangerous for the driver.
During the question-and-answer portion of the meeting, one audience member asked what would happen to residents in Leflore County if their homes were to flood and they didn’t have flood insurance.
“If you have a homeowner’s policy, you do not have flood insurance,” Chaney said. “If you want flood insurance, you have to buy it from one or two places — the federal government or you can buy from the surplus lines.”
Chaney said he has been pushing for private flood insurance, which he said has low rates. The National Flood Insurance Program, which was to expire in September, was renewed for three more months and now will expire in December, he said.
“You have got to have another option outside of the federal government,” Chaney said.
He urged audience members to check maps or to go online to determine if a home is in a floodplain.
Chaney also discussed rates and other issues concerning health, automobile, fire and homeowners insurance.
•Contact Lauren Randall at 581-7239 or lrandall@gwcommonwealth.com.
