BATON ROUGE - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted a 60-day extension for filing proof of loss forms by National Flood Insurance Program policyholders affected by storms across the state in March.

The program normally requires policyholders to file that form within 60 days of suffering flood damage.

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said in a news release filing the proof of loss is necessary even after filing a claim for flood damage. The proof of loss is a sworn statement of the amount a policyholder is claiming, including supporting documentation.

According to FEMA, as of April 22 a total of 4,833 claims filed have been filed and more than $90 million has been paid on all claims in Louisiana. The average payment for a closed claim is about $42,000.