Flood Insurance

Make it Simple- Flood Insurance

   Our next installment in the Make It Simple series is Flood Insurance. Consumers are rarely required to carry flood insurance unless they are in a Flood Zone. Then their mortgage house will most likely require they carry a flood insurance policy. But you should talk to your agent and make sure you know if you should have a flood policy or not, regardless of which zone you are in. 

   Your flood policy has a Dec page, just like every other insurance policy. It will “declare” who you are, what property you have covered, the insurance limits you have chosen and how much you are paying.

   Flood Insurance is backed through the federal government under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program regardless of who you buy the policy from. There are various levels of coverage and deductibles to choose from. You will have a separate deductible for both the building and the contents. Unlike Home and Auto insurance, Flood insurance only covers You. There is no “other party” liability in flood coverage.

Building Coverage: This covers physical damage to your home due to rising flood waters, keeping in mind- two properties, or two acres, have to be flooded for flood insurance to pay out. This covers the building and its foundation, electrical and plumbing systems, a/c equipment, furnaces, walls, flooring… etc. The amount of building coverage should be based on your dwelling/replacement cost amount on your home insurance policy. The flood cannot be higher than the home insurance amount. It usually caps at $250,000 for residential homes.

Contents Coverage: This covers physical damage to personal property such as clothing, furniture, electronics, certain valuable items, such as artwork (up to $2500). It will not cover currency or precious metals.

Deductibles: The Building and Contents coverage have a separate deductible. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium, but the more you will pay out of pocket in the case of a claim.  

  That’s basically it for Flood coverage. It is a simpler Dec page than home and auto with fewer coverages to understand. But please make sure you do understand what it will and will not cover and how much coverage you need to have. 

   If you have questions about your home, auto and commercial insurance, please call Brockman Premier Insurance at 877-987-8683 or email us at brian@brockmanpremier.com.
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