Everything You Need To Know About Flood Insurance

Why You Need Flood Insurance You may be thinking, I don’t live in a high-risk flood zone. Why do I need flood insurance? While your area may not be at risk for heavy rainfall or flash floods, there are many other things that cause flooding in homes, such as:

1. Burst water sources

2. Poor pipe drainage

3. Overflowing septic tanks

4. Blocked sewer access

5. Foundation drainage issues

6. Poor sealing in walls or flooring These can happen in any home, no matter how low-risk your area may seem.
   

Understanding Your Flood Insurance Policy Understanding your flood insurance policy might be tricky, so here are some easy-to-understand definitions: BFE: Base Flood Elevation – this is the elevation determined by the federal government Community Rating System: a government programs that gives incentives to communities who developed extra protections from flooding in their area Elevation Certificate: a certificate that will verify your home’s elevation National Flood Insurance Program: a government insurance program Special Flood Hazard Area: areas that the government requires that flood insurance is purchased

Special Flood Hazard Areas There are two main zones in special flood hazard areas:

1. V Zones: beachfront properties that are in danger because of their closeness to waves.

2. A Zones: properties near bodies of water that are in danger of rising, like lakes, rivers, and streams