If you live in an area that is prone to floods, then your home will face significant property damage risks. However, your homeowners insurance will not provide coverage for this damage. To get coverage against floods, you will need to buy separate flood insurance.
Flood insurance is a tightly regulated marketplace, and flood insurance laws influence both who must buy coverage, and what coverage they can receive. With the help of McKee Insurance Agency, you will be able to receive benefits that are customized to fit the risks present on your property.
To get covered today, just call us at 850-224-6055 or request your free quote online.
Common Flood Insurance Questions
Why is Flood Insurance Important?
All homes are at risk of floods, even those that have never flooded before. Of course, some properties face higher flood risks than others. Depending on how your home stacks up, your need for flood insurance might be significant.
Standard home insurance might cover you for household water damage that results from a burst pipe or similar incident. However, the unpredictability and astronomical costs of flooding related to river swells, storm surge, heavy rain or similar occurrences make it hard for home insurance to cover the risk. At this time, a separate flood insurance policy becomes necessary.
How Does Flood Insurance Work?
Even an inch of water in your home can cause thousands of dollars in damage to both your dwelling and possessions. By filing a claim on your flood insurance plan, you will be able to receive compensation for these losses, and you won’t spend precious personal money trying to fix the damage.
Most flood insurance plans are underwritten by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). If you live in a community that participates in the NFIP, then you can buy an NFIP plan. You can buy NFIP plans both through major insurers and the NFIP Direct system. Non-NFIP plans are also available, though they are less common.
What Does Flood Insurance Cover?
NFIP plans must comply with standards set by federal law. They offer two types of coverage:
NFIP plans will offer coverage up to the following limits:
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One- To Four-family Residential Addresses: $250,000 Structure/$100,000 Contents
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Other Residential Buildings: $500,000 Structure/$100,000 Contents
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Non-Residential Businesses and Buildings: $500,000 Structure/$500,000 Contents
There is also coverage for debris removal costs, loss avoidance and cost of compliance.
Who Needs Flood Insurance?
Many homeowners are required to buy flood insurance:
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If you live in a designated high-risk flood zone, and you have a mortgage backed by a federally-insured lender, then you will have a coverage requirement.
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Some lenders require mortgage holders to buy flood insurance regardless of whether they live in a high-risk zone.
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Coverage is required if you live in a high-risk flood zone and have ever received disaster assistance through FEMA or through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). If you do not buy a policy, then you will not qualify for such assistance in the future.
Talk to one of our agents to determine which flood insurance options are best for you. We recommend that you have your plan in place from the moment you close on a home purchase. We’re committed to working with you to ensure you receive the right benefits at the right time.
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