CLEARWATER, Fla. - FEMA has proposed updated flood maps that now include some Clearwater neighborhoods, following unprecedented flooding during Hurricane Helene last year.

In some spots, storm surge reached more than seven feet, pushing water into homes and apartments that had never seen flooding before. One apartment complex still has vacant bottom floors after the storms.

What they're saying:

Residents are split on whether they need flood insurance . Clearwater resident Dave Kurinsky said his neighborhood, despite being near flooded areas, sits on higher ground.

"If this place floods, the state will be flooded," he said.

He and others said they won’t buy flood insurance.

But Florida’s former Deputy Insurance Commissioner Lisa Miller warns that homeowners' insurance does not c

See Full Page