Whether or not you have ever been affected by a flood the risk is always lurking. Flooding is the most common natural disasters, affecting the entire United States—yet many of us do little to educate ourselves on the warning signs or potential impact.
With heavy spring rains and hurricane season just over the bend, Dagley Insurance & Financial Services has gathered a list of 15 influential flood facts that every homeowners should know:
- Floods and flash floods occur in all 50 states
- Everyone lives in a flood zone – don’t believe it? Visit FloodSmart.gov’s Flood Zones FAQ page.
- Most homeowner’s insurance does NOT cover flood damage
- If you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) or high-risk area, and have a federally backed mortgage, your mortgage lender requires you to have flood insurance
- Just 1 inch of water can cause costly damage to your property
- Flash floods commonly cause walls of water 10 to 20 feet high
- A compact car can easily be swept away by just 2 feet of floodwater
- Hurricanes, winter storms and snowmelt are consistent causes of flooding
- New land development can increase a community’s flood risk, especially if the construction affects natural runoff paths
- Federal disaster assistance typically acts as a loan that must be paid back with interest, commonly 4%, which ends up costing more than a yearly flood insurance premium would
- In a high-risk area, your home is more than twice as likely to be damaged by flood than by fire
- It takes 30 days after the purchase of a policy to take effect, so it’s critical to by a flood insurance policy before the floodwaters rise
- The average U.S. flood losses in the past 10 years (2001-2010) were more than $2.7 billion
- Since 1978 the NFIP has paid over $36.9 billion for flood insurance claims and related costs
- Over 5.5 million people currently hold flood insurance policies across the U.S.
Interested in checking out some more flood facts? Check out FloodSmart.gov, where you can also view claim statistics and fully educate yourself on the nature of flooding.
And while you’re at, explore our Virtual Insurance Office and learn more about what Dagley Insurance can do to meet your flood insurance needs!