Alabama Flooding Winter Trend

2019 and 2020 has brought some serious flood threats to Alabama during the winter months. 

So today we will look at the following

1. Why the flooding occurred
2. Impacts on insurance
3. What to expect in 2021

Why Flooding Happened

Alabama received a large amount of rainfall in 2019 and 2020. As a result then water tables were full for a long time. According to WAAY 31  rain continued to fall there just wasn't anywhere for the water to go.

Even the power companies through out Alabama had a hard time managing the amount of water coming through the state. Water levels on the Tennessee River, Lake Logan Martin, Smith lake, and Weiss lake set records.

Some people on Weiss lake had total losses to their properties as a result of flooding.

In Muscle Shoals Alabama Nathan estate residents lost everything to flooding. This area was not even in a special flood hazard area so many people did not have flood insurance.

As a result they had to depend on disaster assistance to help them which is a very little amount of money.

Since this flooding in 2019 and 2020 hit it has caused a ripple effect when it comes to private flood insurance options.

Some carriers are not currently writing flood insurance in certain parts of North Alabama and East Alabama.

As a result many property owners have had to find either get a higher private flood insurance option or go back to the National Flood Insurance Program.

What to Expect in 2021

So can we expect the same thing to happen in 2021?

It's important to make sure to have flood insurance in place if this flooding was to occur again.

However 2021 is bringing some different challenges with it. Unlike 2019 and 2020 the water tables are not nearly as high as they were. This will allow for more water absorption, less runoff, and better water management by local watersheds.

This doesn't mean that winter flooding won't occur in Alabama in 2021.

So what can you do to be prepared if this flooding does occur?

As we mentioned making sure your have your Alabama flood insurance in place is the first step.

Waiting until the end of January to try to do this is a bad idea.

Almost all flood insurance companies have wait periods. This is the time frame between when a policy is issued and when a claim would be covered.

The National Flood Insurance Program generally has a 30 day wait period. Private flood insurance companies can range from 1 day to 15 days.

Flood Insurance Options

So what flood insurance options are available in Alabama?

As we have mentioned before you have the National Flood Insurance Program and you have private flood insurance companies.

One is backed by the government and one is backed by private flood insurance companies.

It's important to understand that National Flood Insurance Program should be the same price no matter where you get it from, but private flood insurance will widely range on price.

Each private flood insurance carrier has their own rating model so coverages and pricing are unique. If you want to learn more about your options then click here.

You can also check out our YouTube channel where we put our daily flood education videos.

Remember we have an educational background in flood mitigation. So we are here to help you understand your flood insurance, flood risk, and mitigating your property long term.