When Superstorm Sandy tore though the Eastern Seaboard in late October, it caused an extensive amount of damages to businesses and homes in many states.

In order to be able to make repairs, many business owners are relying on payments from the National Flood Insurance Program. According to The Associated Press, the NFIP has had more than 138,000 claims related to the storm and companies participating in the program have paid out $4.1 billion.

While many people complained about not receiving their claim payouts, Wright Flood says that claims are being resolved quickly thanks to a bulletin by the NFIP.

"It [the bulletin] allowed Wright Flood to pay a loss based on the adjuster's report rather than a signed proof of loss," Jeff Moore, vice president of claims for the Florida-based Wright Flood, told the Claims Journal. "It also stated that the 60 day time limit in the general conditions would not apply. Instead, the amount of time was extended from 60 days to one year."

This allowed for insurers to make expedited payments, as people filing claim are able to provide proof of loss for up to a year if the payment is in dispute. Moore said that this will only apply to Sandy-related claims, but other bulletins may be issued for future storms.

A similar bulletin was also put out for Hurricane Katrina, which allowed people to waive the initial filing of proof of loss in order to get their payment.

H. Neal Conolly, president of Wright Flood, told the source that around 95 percent of their claims have come from New York and New Jersey.

Sandy bill passed to provide people with aid

In addition to national flood insurance claims, people in areas affected by Sandy may begin to receive federal aid.

According to The Associated Press, Congress passed a $50.5 billion emergency relief measure for storm victims in late January. This money will help people rebuild homes, businesses, public transportation and other infrastructure.

The storm caused tens of billions of dollars in property damages, which forced many local businesses to close, as they could not afford to make repairs. The AP reported that officials said more than 265,000 businesses were disrupted in New York alone.

Congress also passed a bill in early January, which replenished the NFIP with $9.7 billion, to help them pay out the hundreds of thousands of claims they received.