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:
- Burst water sources
- Poor pipe drainage
- Overflowing septic tanks
- Blocked sewer access
- Foundation drainage issues
- 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:
- V Zones: beachfront properties that are in danger because of their closeness to waves.
- A Zones: properties near bodies of water that are in danger of rising, like lakes, rivers, and streams