Flood Insurance
Most homeowners insurance does not cover flooding. But with flood insurance you're covered.
Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States, affecting every region and state. Floods cause physical and emotional anguish, as well as financial devastation. In fact, just one inch of water in an average sized home can cause more than $25,000 in damage. Federal disaster assistance is not always the answer. Most types of federal disaster assistance require a presidential disaster declaration and come in the form of low-interest disaster loans that must be repaid—with interest! Only flood insurance reimburses you for flood damage, providing the necessary funds for recovery—and you don’t have to pay it back.
My property isn't in an area that regularly floods, do I need to purchase a separate flood policy?
First off, most personal and commercial insurance policies specifically exclude flood damage. So you may be wondering why you would need to purchase a flood policy if your property isn't located in a flood zone. A flood insurance policy isn't only for Biblical floods that Noah built an ark for. You should consider a flood policy for:
- Ground level or surface water entering the building as a result of municipal storm drains backing up. Water backup coverage mentioned above could apply to water coming up out of a floor drain within the building but not the storm drains outside.
- A cold and snowy winter quickly thawed in the spring which caused flooding and surface water to enter the building.
- A nearby dam or levee breaks causing a body of water to flood a neighborhood or city.
- Flooding as a result of natural disasters like hurricanes or heavy rains.
Your flood risk is rising. Did you know?
- Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States.
- The damage from just one inch of water can cost more than $20,000.
- Almost 25% of all flood insurance claims come from areas with low-to-moderate flood risk.
- The National Flood Insurance Program has less than 1% purchase rate in low hazard flood zones, yet 20% of the losses come from these inland flood areas.
- $27,000 is the average flood claim in low-to-moderate risk zones.
**According to Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
The Cost of Flooding: Calculating and Understanding Your Risk
The average American may not have the financial resources to recover following a natural disaster so what can you do to help protect your assets?
What to do After a Flood
