Standard homeowners and renters insurance is not flood insurance and does not cover flood damage. If your home is filled with water as a result of rising bodies of lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans, and you believe your homeowners or renters insurance will cover you, you may be left high and dry. (Well, actually, you’ll be all wet.)

Most flood insurance is administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under a program called the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). That said, nearly 100 insurance companies write and service NFIP policies. So, whether you’re a homeowner, a renter, or a business owner, you can purchase flood policies from an insurer under contract with FEMA.

Check with your current insurance agent to see if they offer flood policies. If they don’t and you’d like a referral, contact the National Flood Insurance Program’s Help Center at 1-800-427-4661.

It’s important to know what is and what isn’t covered by a flood insurance policy. Also, there are separate flood insurance policies for your building/structure and for your contents. (For example, if you’re a renter, you may only be interested in the contents policy.) You can buy one or both; each of these policies has its own deductible.

• A Building Property/Structure policy covers your actual home (building property) up to $250,000.
• A Personal Property/Contents policy covers your personal property up to $100,000.


Own a Business?

Commercial flood insurance is also available from the NFIP; it provides up to $500,000 of coverage for your building and up to $500,000 for its contents. Be sure to talk to your licensed insurance agent about what is and isn’t covered by your policy.

What causes any flooding you experience is very important. For example, if you have a sewer or drain backup (or overflowing sump pump) that damages your home, it is NOT covered by flood insurance unless the backup itself is a direct result of flooding.

For damage to be considered flood damage…

Water must cover at least two acres of land that’s normally dry, or has to have damaged two or more properties (one being your home).

Also, the water has to come from:

• Overflowing inland or tidal waters.
• Unusual, rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
• Mudflow (meaning mud that’s carried by a flow of water, creating a river of mud).

You’re also covered when shorefront land collapses or sinks due to waters above “anticipated cyclical levels.”

Get started protecting yourself!