Unbelievable reason Florida couple's flood claim was denied after heartless insurer spotted 3.5 inch step

A Tampa couple were left devastated to learn their insurance company denied their flood claim because their living room is classified as a basement.

Food waters rushed through Jaime Giangrande-Holcom's family home and ruined everything in the living room when Hurricane Helene hit the Sunshine State in September.

The extensive damage prompted her and her husband to file a claim through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

However, an insurance adjuster said the three-and-a-half inch 'step down' from the entrance to the living room means the area is technically classified as "basement", and therefore not included in their coverage.

'It's ridiculous. To even come out and say the word "basement" in the state of Florida is comical,' Jaime told WFLA .

'I grew up in New York, and I know what a basement looks like. I lived in basements. This is not a basement.'

The storm, which reached Category 4, killed more than 200 people across several states and early estimates show the economic losses could surpass $50 billion.

Jaime and her husband had paid $3,800 for flood insurance this year through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The NFIP defines a basement as any area of a building with a floor that is below ground level on all sides, according to its website.

It consider rooms that are not fully below ground level - such as sunken living rooms - as basements, because the lowest floor is below ground on all sides.

However, Jaime hopes the measurements of her house will prove the living room is not below ground level and therefore not a basement.

'Measurement wise it's four-and-a-half inches coming up into our house, and it's a three-and-a-half inch stepdown into our "basement",' she said.

A FEMA spokesperson told the local news outlet it is important for homeowners to understand what their policy does and does not cover.

'The National Flood Insurance Program considers a sunken living room a basement when it has a floor below ground level (subgrade) on all sides,' the spokesperson said.

'In this situation the three-and-half inch stepdown (sunken) area of the referenced home is considered a basement and there would be limited coverage in this area as a result.'

Recent natural disasters have exposed how few Americans have flood insurance - with experts now warning of the potentially devastating impact this can have.

Flood insurance is not included in homeowners insurance, and must be bought separately.

In some areas, including parts of Florida, flood insurance is mandatory on government-backed mortgages for homes which are classified as high risk by FEMA.

However, insurers are increasingly hiking prices and pulling out of states including Florida entirely, as the cost of covering rising natural disasters mounts.