Does Flood Insurance Cover Storm Water Run Off?

Does flood insurance cover my property or not?

It's a question we get everyday from property owners.

Water damage is probably one of the top questions we get asked about. There are lots of different water damage scenarios. Especially when it comes to water back up.

So what is water back up?

This is water that backs up through its pipes. This could be water backing up into your home, this could be water backing up in the streets as a result of clogged drains.

Today we want to talk about storm water runoff backup and how flood insurance covers it.

Before we get into water back up let's remember when flood insurance pays out.

Generally one of two situations has to be met.

1. 2 properties or more inundated with water
2. 2 acres or more inundated with water

There are many cities across the country that have faced challenges of storm water runoff water back up causing problems.

Let's look at what happened in German town Tennessee in 2019. The area that flooded was not an area that generally had much concern for flooding especially as a result of storm water run off. However a 500 year flood changed that in 2019 and months later the residents faced challenges of flooding.

According to WREG.com residents feel that drains were to blame for the flood waters. While public officials state the drains work fine residents complain they are not big enough.

Many of these people had water in their homes like they never have before.

So would flood insurance cover this storm water runoff backup?

According to WREG more than $7 million of damage involving more than 200 homes. This meets the National Flood Insurance Program definition of flood insurance.

Now that doesn't mean it would be covered in every situation. We talk to property owners every day where their property is the only property impacted.

As a result they had no flood insurance coverage available.

It's important to understand your flood insurance policy coverages. The National Flood Insurance Program and private flood insurance companies could cover things differently. So make sure to read through your policy jacket and if you have questions click here.

Also if you want to learn more about flood insurance then make sure to check out our podcast or our YouTube channel where we post daily flood education videos.

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