61,000 Mississippians have flood insurance. Many flood victims are not among them.

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - As the waters begin to recede from the flooded neighborhoods, residents are going in to inspect the damage.

Some were lucky and kept the flood out, others not so much.

Deion Thompson says he plans to help his neighbors who weren't enrolled in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Their homeowners insurance won't cover losses or repairs.

Anyone with flood insurance would have had to have it 30 days before the flood for it to be activated.

Janice Lewis, who lives off Foxboro Drive, said, “Unfortunately, I didn’t have flood insurance. I hope that I’ll be able to get government assistance, family and friends that can help out.”

The Mississippi Insurance Department says over 61,000 thousand Mississippians have flood insurance, but many who were flooded this week are not among them.

Until a federal flood declaration is given to Mississippi, those people may have to come out of pocket for repairs.

Nathaniel Green, a contractor, said, “There’s going to be a lot of people who don’t have insurance who are going to be stuck with a lot of mold potential and a lot of water restoration. If they’re not prepared to financially handle it, it’s going to be rough.”

Residents without flood insurance are hoping for federal assistance, but FEMA has not declared one for Mississippi at this time.

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