Things You Must Know
About Floods and Home Damage
by Susan Dunn
1. Yes, Virginia, you do live in a flood zone.
According to the NFIP, “everyone lives in a flood zone,” because flash
floods occur in every state.
2. A flood is basically defined as “an excess of water (or mud) on what’s
normally dry.”
3. The odds of having flood damage are against you.
Chances of fire, 1 in 25.
Chance of house being hit by tornado, 1 in 150,000.
Chance of flood damage, 1 in 4 (if you live in a high risk area).
4. You don’t have to be in a high-risk area to have damage.
25% of flood loss claims paid by the NFIP are for policies in low- to
moderate-risk areas. To assess your risk, go HERE.
5. Flooding causes more than $2 billion of property damage every year in the
US.
Highest claim area? Florida.
6. Don’t live near water, so you don’t need to worry?
Worry on! Flash floods occur in every state in the US. They can occur
without warning anywhere, and any time a large amount of rain falls in a
short amount of time.
7. What to do before a flood?
a. Take photos of all your important possessions.
b. Store important documents and irreplaceables where they won’t get
damaged.
c. Establish a relative for “family contact” in case you get separated.
d. Install sump pumps with back-up power.
e. Install backflow valves for drains, toilets and other sewer connections
to prevent floodwaters from entering.
f. Place furnace and water heater on masonry blocks or concrete at least 1’
above projected flood level.
g. For more tips, and what to do before, during and after, go HERE.
8. Among the causes of which you may not be aware, are winter storms and
snow melt.
9. Homeowners policies do not cover flood damage. v
NFIP flood insurance does. It is sold through private insurance companies
and agents and is backed by the Federal government. For information, go
HERE.
10. Think you can rely on damage being covered by FEMA in case of a “real”
flood?
Think again. According to FEMA, before a community is eligible for disaster
assistance, it must be declared a federal disaster area. Federal disaster
assistance declarations are issued in less than 50% of flooding incidents.
Further, FEMA assistance is a loan. According to NFIP, “the premium for an
NFIP policy, averaging about $400 a year, is less expensive than interest on
federal disaster loans.”
And further yet, if you’re uninsured and received FEMA relief after a flood,
you’ll be required to purchase flood insurance to remain eligible for FUTURE
disaster relief.
Susan Dunn may be contacted at
http://www.susandunn.cc
sdunn@susandunn.cc
Susan Dunn, MA, Psychology, Emotional Intelligence Coach,
http://www.susandunn.cc . Coaching,
Internet courses and ebooks around emotional intelligence for career,
relationships, transitions, resilience, personal and professional
development. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc
for free ezine.
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