Since standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding, it’s important to have protection from the floods associated with hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy rains and other conditions that impact the U.S.
In 1968, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to help provide a means for property owners to financially protect themselves. The NFIP offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP. Participating communities agree to adopt and enforce ordinances that meet or exceed FEMA requirements to reduce the risk of flooding.
What is a flood:
Anywhere it rains, it can flood. A flood is a general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow. Many conditions can result in a flood: hurricanes, overtopped levees, outdated or clogged drainage systems and rapid accumulation of rainfall.
Just because you haven’t experienced a flood in the past, doesn’t mean you won’t in the future. Flood risk isn’t just based on history; it’s also based on a number of factors: rainfall, river-flow and tidal-surge data, topography, flood-control measures, and changes due to building and development.
As a homeowner or renter, it’s imperative that you protect your property from disasters that may occur in your area. As one of the most likely disasters in the U.S., floods can strike anywhere. Even if your region isn’t considered a likely area for flooding, you may want to consider the option of flood insurance. Flooding can occur following a disaster like a hurricane or a severe storm, and can be the direct result of rising water levels nearby. Because most property insurance specifically excludes floods, it’s best to secure flood insurance in order to keep your property safe no matter what occurs. This type of coverage must be secured through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
The NFIP was established in 1968 as a way to protect local communities from financial difficulties caused by flooding. Because most private providers prefer to avoid covering for floods, the NFIP is the only way to ensure your home is safe if flooding should occur. Working in partnership with the local communities, the NFIP offers coverage to areas with proper preventative methods in place. Before you can review flood insurance quotes, you’ll need to find out if your area is eligible for coverage.
How to Purchase Flood Insurance:
Like other types of insurance, flood insurance is purchased directly from an agent. In order to offer this type of coverage, the agency must be an active member of the NFIP. A flood insurance comparison will allow you to review flood insurance quotes from the providers in your area that offer this type of coverage. Even though it may be difficult to obtain in some areas, flood insurance is usually quite affordable.
What Causes flooding:
A Storm, A Hurricanes:
Hurricanes and tropical storms can pack a powerful punch, with soaking rain, flying debris, high winds and tidal surge. In addition to causing extensive damage in coastal areas, they often bring flooding hundreds of miles inland with torrential rains and high winds, posing a threat to millions of people who don’t even live on a shoreline. Eight of the ten most expensive Federally-declared disasters have been caused by hurricanes.
Everyone needs to protect themselves from the dangers of Hurricane Season. Most policies take 30 days to go into effect, so the time to prepare is now.
Heave Rains:
Several areas of the country are at heightened risk for flooding due to heavy rains. This excessive amount of rainfall can happen throughout the year, putting your property at risk.
Storms over the Pacific Ocean bring heavy rains to the western United States between the months of November and April. Cresting rivers, backed-up storm drains or saturated ground can cause significant floods across the region during this time.
Flash Floods:
Flash floods are the #1 weather-related killer in the U.S. since they can roll boulders, tear out trees, and destroy buildings and bridges. A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas in less than six hours, which is caused by intense rainfall from a thunderstorm or several thunderstorms. Flash floods can also occur from the collapse of a man-made structure or ice dam
Mudflows:
Mudflows are rivers of liquid and flowing mud on the surface of normally dry land, often caused by a combination of brush loss and subsequent heavy rains. Mudflows can develop when water saturates the ground, such as from rapid snowmelt or heavy or long periods of rainfall, causing a thick liquid downhill flow of earth.
Mudflows are different from other earth movements, such as landslides, slope failures, and even moving saturated soil masses in which masses of earth, rock, or debris move down a slope where there is not a flowing characteristic.
Damage from mudflows is covered by flood insurance; damage from landslides and other earth movements is not. Mudslides can also be covered, if defined exactly as the Standard Flood Insurance Policy defines Mudflow.
Flood After Fire:
Many areas in the western states are at an increased flood risk due to wildfires in recent years. After a wildfire, the charred ground where vegetation has burned away cannot easily absorb rainwater, increasing the risk of flooding and mudflows over a number of years. Wildfire-affected areas include states such as Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Properties directly affected by fires and those located below or downstream of burn areas are most at risk.