30 Nov

Do I need Flood Insurance

Do I need flood insurance?

Hello there!  If you’ve stumbled upon this post whilst searching the internet, you were probably curious about flood insurance.  “Do I need flood insurance” is a pretty common thing for a homeowner to ask, especially if you live in a low lying area, or near a river, lake or the ocean.  The answer to your question can vary, but “do I need flood insurance” is a very common thing we hear in this business.

Now first off, there should be a distinction between the phrase “do I need flood insurance” and “should I have flood insurance”.  Technically,  if your property does not sit within what has been mapped by FEMA as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA for short)  you may not be required by your mortgage company to carry flood insurance.  However, on the other side of the coin – I think that every homeowner should have a flood insurance policy. You must remember that your normal homeowner’s insurance will not cover the peril of flood ( things like broken pipes or an overflowing bathtub may be covered in a typical homeowner’s policy, but those are not by definition the peril of flood.

Flood is defined in the insurance industry as:

  • A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of 2 or more acres of normally dry land area or of 2 or more properties (at least 1 of which is the policyholder’s property) from:
    –Overflow of inland or tidal waters; or
    –Unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source; or
    –Mudflow; or
  • Collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or similar body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels that result in a flood as defined above.

So, do I need flood insurance?

At Save Flood insurance agency Inc, we do suggest that every homeowner have a flood insurance policy.  Even if you think your home could never flood, you might be surprised to learn that over 25% of all flood related claims occur in moderate to low risk flood zones.  Take for example all the recent hurricanes and extreme weather events.  Even if you’re not located near a body of water, heavy sustained rains, snow storms, and other weather events can potentially flood your home.

If you would like to get a free quote for flood insurance, please fill out the form below.  Our private market underwriters and selective systems allow us to save you up to 50% on a flood policy when compared to the NFIP / FEMA programs.