Property owners in the U.S. Virgin Islands can now obtain flood insurance quotes and purchase federal flood insurance policies entirely online through a new service launched Tuesday, October 20, by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The system allows eligible customers to complete purchases without going through an insurance agent, although that option remains available.
The service operates through FloodSmart.gov under FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). According to the agency, the online purchasing option is available nationwide to residents of approximately 22,700 participating communities, including the Virgin Islands, which has participated in the federal flood insurance program for decades.
The new system allows customers to enter basic information about their property, obtain a premium quote and proceed with purchasing coverage online. Those who prefer to work with an insurance agent can share their quote or obtain contact information for licensed insurance providers through the website.
The October 20 rollout expands on an earlier FEMA initiative introduced in April 2025, which allowed consumers to obtain flood insurance quotes online and connect with insurance providers. The latest development adds the ability to complete the purchase directly through the federal website.
The change comes with an important consideration for Virgin Islands property owners. In October 2021, the Consortium reported that residents were experiencing difficulties obtaining federal flood insurance because FEMA's property-identification process relied on conventional street addresses, which many properties in the territory lacked.
At the time, Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach, who also serves as the territory's commissioner of insurance, said his office was working with FEMA to address the problem through the government's Geographic Information Systems mapping platform. FEMA's latest announcement does not specify how the new online system handles properties without standardized street addresses or whether those earlier difficulties have been resolved.
Federal flood insurance provides protection that most standard homeowners' policies do not offer. Under the NFIP, residential property owners can obtain up to $250,000 in building coverage and $100,000 in contents coverage. Separate policies are also available for renters and businesses, with coverage and eligibility determined by the type of property and policy purchased.
Flood insurance is not limited to properties in designated high-risk flood zones. However, owners of certain properties in high-risk areas with federally backed mortgages are required to maintain coverage.
Although the new system allows policies to be purchased immediately, most new NFIP policies do not take effect until 30 days after purchase. Exceptions apply in certain circumstances, including qualifying mortgage transactions and some changes to federal flood maps.
