According to the National Flood Insurance Program, NFIP, the average homeowner is five times more likely to incur flood damage than fire damage--with 25% of all claims coming from low to moderate risk areas. If you have a standard homeowners policy, it's unlikely you have coverage for damages after a flood. Here's a few things to know about flooding, from floodsmart.gov.
Flooding is the most common natural disaster.
- Anywhere it can rain, it can flood.
- You don't need to live near a coastline or river to have a flood.
- Winter storms and snowmelt are common, overlooked, causes of flooding.
You can't get flood insurance at the last minute.
- NFIP policies typically take 30 days to go into effect, so it's important to act before there's an imminent threat of flooding.
You can purchase flood insurance no matter your level of risk.
- People outside of high-risk areas file more than 20 percent of NFIP claims and receive one-third of disaster assistance for flooding.
Preferred risk policies provide flood protection at the best price.
- To qualify, the property must be located in the moderate-to-low risk zone and meet loss history requirements.
