You know how the saying goes: “April showers bring May flowers”, but have you ever thought of what else those April showers bring with them? An increased risk for flooding.
The term “April showers” signifies spring rains that take place in much of the northern hemisphere during the month. In addition, in cooler areas, the frozen ground in the early Spring makes flooding a bigger risk because water from heavy rains cannot properly enter the ground.
Regardless of where you live, nearly everyone is vulnerable to flooding. In fact, more than 20% of flood claims are from people that do not live in high flood risk areas.
Here are a few flood facts you need to know:
- Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. From 2003 to 2012, total flood insurance claims averaged nearly $4 billion per year.
- Just one inch of water can cause detrimental damages to your property.
- Your car can easily be carried away by only two feet of water.
- Construction and new development affect natural drainage and create new flood risks.
- If you are a victim of flooding, federal disaster assistance is typically in the form of a loan that must be paid back, with interest.
Flood coverage is a part of any fully protected insurance policy. Whether the flood damage is a result of Mother Nature or something else, you cannot expect flood-related damage to be covered unless you've got flood insurance. Standard homeowners and renters policies cover things like storm damage from wind, including hurricane damage and any wind-driven rain entering a home from the sky. However, damage from water on the ground, or water seeping into a basement from below, isn't covered unless you have a flood insurance policy.
Make sure to call or come by our office to review your existing coverage. We can talk with you about adding this very important type of coverage to your insurance portfolio. (You may even qualify for a special multi-policy discount!)