As we further go into the Spring season, we slowly enter into the hurricane season as well. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced twenty-one names for upcoming hurricanes. Although this doesn't mean that we'll certainly get at least twenty-one hurricanes, it's still a good heads up for what might come this hurricane season. Today, we want to talk about the flood map changes coming to Dubuque in the state of Iowa and understand what it can mean for flood insurance.

We want to unpack the good, the bad, and the ugly changes of these flood insurance map (FIRM) changes. We also want to tell you how this can impact your rates and what your flood insurance options are.

Flooding in Iowa

First, we want to cover the flooding that Iowa had experienced in recent years especially in Dubuque in order to understand how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — who analyzed, researched, and created these flood maps — arrived into the update they'll be putting into effect on May 10th (Monday).

In June 2008, Central Iowa was impacted by huge flooding that was considered worse for Iowa if you were to put it beside the Great Flood of 1993. This event totaled six billion dollars in damages and thankfully, no casualties. However, the amount of damages despite the flood mitigation efforts were felt throughout the state. Although Dubuque wasn't impacted compared to other parts of the state, the constant threat of flash floods was always there through the time of the flooding. The cause for this flooding was the warm and wet air clashing with what winter left on the state bringing rainfall and rivers rising.

Three years later, Iowa faced another flooding incident known as the Missouri River Flooding 2011. As expected, the winter leftovers were the culprit for the flooding as there were record snowfalls over Montana and Wyoming plus spring storms or rainfall causing rivers to rise and dams along the Missouri River to release record amounts of water to prevent overflowing. This caused levees across Iowa to collapse bringing flash floods to its local residents.

In retrospect, we've seen how much damages can constant rainfall in Spring can cause and how areas or states close to Iowa can impact flooding as well. This may happen again as we're seeing record levels of snowfall from winter on multiple states and relatively strong storms too.

Now, let's talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly changes that this new flood map update will bring to residents of Dubuque.

The Good

When it comes to what we call the good changes, this happens when your property is moved out of a high-risk flood zone or some would say "out of a flood zone". Although the latter statement is never true since you're always mapped into a flood zone, it just depends on how high the risks for flooding that you're property's facing is.

In the good flood map changes, this means that you're in an "in to out" movement which is something that around 1200 Dubuque residents will experience on May 10th. This means that previously, the property's mapped in a high-risk flood zone and is moving to preferred flood zones or low-risk flood zones. Some would call this moving to Flood Zone X.

This means that you will also get preferred flood insurance rates and flood insurance won't be required but is still highly recommended. It's important to note that even low-risk flood zones like Flood Zone X are still subject to flooding. In fact, most flood claims are coming from these zones according to FEMA.  Now, when we say preferred rates, this means that you're getting the lowest possible premium rates for your flood insurance compared to those if you're moving into these low-risk zones. This can mean that your flood insurance rate will be around $1,000 or maybe lower than that.

The Bad

Now, when it comes to the bad changes, this is the exact opposite of the good changes. In the case of Dubuque, about 370 residents are moving into high-risk flood zone, like Flood Zone A, when previously they're in a low-risk flood zone. This movement is shown as the "out to in" in these flood map updates.

This means that these homeowners will now be required to carry flood insurance for their property since generally moving into high-risk flood zones prompts mortgage companies to impose mandatory flood insurance for the property. If you don't buy it yourself then your mortgage lender might force-place a policy for your house which is a really bad deal.

Flood insurance rates in these areas will also be higher. If Iowa's average flood insurance rate is about $1,045 then you can expect your premiums to be around this price and up to $3,000 depending on the construction of your house. If your property also has flood claims previously, this can also affect your rates and cause it to go significantly higher.

The Ugly

Now, let's talk about the worst part of these flood map changes which is what we usually call an ugly change. This is because of the movement that around 4200 properties will be going through this May 10th. The movement is shown as the "in to in" because these properties will be moving deeper into the high-risk flood zones or higher-risk flood zones.

The movement might be because you're in a Flood Zone A before the updates and then you're now going to be mapped into Flood Zone AE. This will bring a drastic increase in your flood insurance premiums. If we were to go back to the premiums we mentioned previously, this can go up to $5,000 to $8,000 in FEMA. This is the same for the bad changes since your mortgage will be requiring you to carry a policy, mandatory flood insurance, with your property. The federal flood insurance may also require you to produce and submit additional documents like photos and elevation certificates in order to write a policy for you, and this costs a lot of money as well. 

Now, we want to cover your flood insurance options since we know that this is one of the most important things to prepare for the hurricane season.

Flood Insurance Options

The NFIP

First, let's go through the well-known option which is federal flood insurance. Also known as the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the government-backed option where you have to go through FEMA to get your policy here. It's important to note that there are certain red tapes you need to consider when going to federal flood insurance.

The NFIP offers maximum coverage for property damage of up to $250,000 and contents coverage or personal property coverage of $100,000 maximum. It's important to note that this number won't go up for residential properties. This can go up to $500,000 max only for commercial properties with the same coverage for contents. The NFIP won't be covering additional living expenses unless there's a presidential declaration, replacement costs, and loss of use.

It's also important to note that if you're looking to go through FEMA for your flood policy, there will be a strict 30-day waiting period before your policy can take effect. Depending on how fast you process the necessary requirements for flood insurance purchase, this may go up to 60 days especially if there are additional documents being asked.

One of the great things about the NFIP is if you're in a participating community, your Community Rating Score (CRS) can really benefit your flood insurance as this can provide you and your community in Dubuque a discount of up to 40%. Although this depends on your score, there's still a big chance of getting a discount through this program with FEMA. Being in a participating community also gives you access to disaster aid and disaster grants.

The Private Flood

Now, let's talk about the other option that most people might not know about or may shy away from, the private flood insurance market. It's important to note that there's nothing to be scared about the private flood as they do what your federal flood insurance can, if not more.

When it comes to private flood coverage, this doesn't have a coverage limit and maximum amount you can go up to. So, if you want to get more than $250,000 for your house and $100,000, you can do so with these private insurance companies. They also offer extra coverage like additional living expenses, loss of use, and replacement costs even if there's no presidential declaration for the flooding that happened.

It's important to note however that there might be some companies who won't write a policy due to the risks of flooding on your property. This may be due to the property's current flood zone designation or the history of flood loss and flood claims with the house. You won't have to worry about that however since you can still go through other private insurers since there's never one insurance company when it comes to private flood.

Since you're also buying from private insurers, they won't be held back by the red tapes that FEMA has to go through. This is why flood insurance policies from the private market can take effect as soon as you complete your requirements and payment on the flood policy purchase or up to fifteen days.

At the end of the day, being proactive and prepared beats being reactive when it comes to floodings. The choice of where you're getting your flood insurance doesn't really hold that much weight so long as you're making sure that there's a policy ready to save you from potential flood loss. 

So, if you have questions on these flood map changes, the impacts it has on flood insurance for Dubuque, flood insurance options, or anything related to flood, reach out to us using the links below to call, get a quote, or visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel for our daily flood education videos.

Remember, we have an educational background in flood mitigation. We want to help you protect your property from flood risks and preserve its value long term.

         

In this flood map update, we talk about one of the major victims of the Colorado flooding from the recent time, Logan County and Sterling. The flood map updates for Logan County is expected to arrive at May 4th which can be a big start as we approach the hurricane season.

We want to unpack from the good, the bad, the ugly changes, impacts on flood insurance, and your flood insurance options.

History of Flood

In 2013, a massive slow-moving cold front stalled over the state and met with warm humid monsoonal air from the south resulted in heavy rain and catastrophic flooding along with Colorado Springs north to Fort Collins. This was worsened by the fact that multiple counties, like Boulder County, received up to 17 inches of rain after four days. This event leads to an estimated $1,000,000,000 worth of damages with 8 unfortunate casualties and 6 missing.

Logan County, specifically, experienced a limited water use order due to the South Platte River cresting for around 11 feet which helped in drastically increasing the flood levels during the time. 73 miles of asphalt and dirt roads were severely impacted as well.

So, let's talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly changes that the new flood map updates will bring to Sterling and all of its estimated 15000 residents.

The Good

When it comes to the good changes in flood maps, also known as an "in to out" movement, Julesburg may not feel this change as around 40 properties are being moved out of the high-risk flood zones. It's important to note that we call this a good change because properties that are previously in high-risk flood zones, like Flood Zone A, will be moved to the low-risk flood zones.

This is generally good since flood insurance will no longer be required although still recommended, flood insurance premiums will become lower, and technically a lower risk of flooding for those properties. We highly recommend getting flood insurance still even in low-risk flood zones like Flood Zone X since we've seen many times that these zones get impacted by flood for multiple reasons and according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), most flood claims are coming from these zones.

The Bad

Now, let's talk more about the bad changes which are focused on the "out to in" movement of properties in the flood map. According to the upcoming flood map updates, about 110 residents will be moved from outside the low-risk flood zones like Flood Zone X and into high-risk flood zones like Flood Zone A.

This means that the 110 properties impacted are most likely to be required to carry mandatory flood insurance from their mortgage. This can be very surprising for those who are buying flood insurance the first time, but a very common effect of these changes. This could also mean that the overall flood insurance premiums for these properties will be higher. If Colorado generally has about $855 average premium, this can go up to $1000 depending on your property's position when it comes to the base flood elevation in the area.

Considering how the South Platte River and Sterling are somewhat beside one another, we can actually expect flood insurance rates to be even higher in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Some data shows that flood insurance premiums from the NFIP in this area actually got more than $8,000.

The Ugly

When it comes to the worst change from this flood map, which we call an ugly change, the impacted property's movement is called an "in to in". This means that there are about 3300 properties moving from a high-risk area to a higher-risk flood zone. This is the biggest number and mostly comprises the flood map update that's coming this month. It means that you could be in a Flood Zone A and then this flood map update will have your property moved into Flood Zone AE for example.

Flood insurance premiums will be drastically higher when it comes to these properties. This means that if Colorado generally has an $855 premium on average, then you can expect your property to go have around $1200 even up to $2000 depending on how close you are to a body of water and the relative position of your house to the base flood elevation. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) may also require additional documents like photos and an elevation certificate with the mandatory flood insurance in order for your policy to take effect.  Considering the previous data, premiums can also go up to $10,000 if not more depending on where your property is located. 

Now, let's talk about how you can prepare for these changes and what the best flood insurance option is for you.

Flood Insurance Options

When it comes to flood insurance options, it's important to note that it won't matter what loan type you have since you can choose to go through either of these options. We have federal flood insurance and private flood insurance. Let's go through each option and understand their differences.

The NFIP Option

Federal flood insurance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Now, it's important to note that you can access this flood insurance option only if you're in a participating community. It's integral to mention that in 2019, Logan County re-enlisted for participating with the NFIP. This participation comes with an agreement between Logan County officials and FEMA, so it's very likely that the local floodplain management will encourage residents to get flood insurance from FEMA and the NFIP.

The NFIP offers coverage for properties, buildings, or structures of $250,000. When it comes to property coverage, other properties that aren't listed as the main building will have to get a separate policy for those additional buildings. Contents and personal items will have a coverage of $100,00. It's important to note that these coverage amounts are maxed out to those numbers. The NFIP won't also provide additional living expenses, replacement costs, and loss of use with their policy.

If you're looking to buy flood insurance through FEMA, you may have to follow a strict 30-day waiting period before the policy can take effect on your property.

The Private Flood Option

On the other side of the fence, you may go through private insurance companies' flood policies also known as the private flood. Since this is provided by private insurers, you won't have to go through the red tapes that the federal flood insurance may have. Immediately, you can see this on the general waiting period for private flood insurance. The maximum waiting time for private flood is fifteen days this is considering that you're going to have to wait in the first place.

Private flood insurance also doesn't have any coverage limits to the amount they can cover for property and personal items. This means that you can go up to $10,000,000 for the property damage coverage if you'd want to and $1,000,000 on personal items. Now, it's important to note that this is relative to your property's construction which is why it's highly recommended that homeowners with expensive buildings go through the private flood.

Private flood insurance also provides additional coverages like additional living expenses, replacement costs, and loss of use which really protects the way of life policyholder from the aftermath of flooding.

At the end of the day, it's important that we keep our guards up, be prepared to avoid what happened in 2013 especially when states like Colorado can propose a bigger flood threat due to storm runoff, spring thaw, and melting of ice and snow across the state. As climate change drastically impacts the weather patterns for the worse, one can only tell how bad this coming hurricane season will be.

So, if you have any questions on flood map changes, flood insurance, or your flood risks, reach out to us. Remember, we have an educational background in flood mitigation and we want to help protect the value of your property long term. Click the links below to watch our daily flood education videos on YouTube, call us, or get a quote from us so you can get started on your flood insurance purchase today.

        

We're fast approaching the hurricane season and it seems like Winter was just yesterday.  As we continue with the Spring season, it's important to cover the ever-changing flood insurance rate maps (FIRM) that will take effect on May 18th for the county of Sedgwick in Colorado.

We want to cover how this will impact flood insurance rates for Julesburg, being one of the biggest cities, the good, the bad, the ugly changes, and the flood insurance options for the residents of the city.

History of Flood

Colorado hasn't been in the crosshairs of major flooding in recent times compared to other states however it's important to note that the state has a history of flood in the last 100 years as this could reflect the state's situation when it comes to flooding.

In 2013, a massive slow-moving cold front stalled over the state and met with warm humid monsoonal air from the south resulted in heavy rain and catastrophic flooding along with Colorado Springs north to Fort Collins. This was worsened by the fact that multiple counties, like Boulder County, received up to 17 inches of rain after four days. This event leads to an estimated $1,000,000,000 worth of damages with 8 unfortunate casualties and 6 missings.

So, let's talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly changes that the new flood map updates will bring to Sedgwick and all of its estimated 2400 populous.

The Good

When it comes to the good changes in flood maps, also known as an "in to out" movement, Julesburg may not feel this change as only two (2) properties are being moved out of the high-risk flood zones. It's important to note that we call this a good change because properties that are previously in high-risk flood zones, like Flood Zone A, will be moved to the low-risk flood zones.

This is generally good since flood insurance will no longer be required although still recommended, flood insurance premiums will become lower, and technically a lower risk of flooding for those properties. We highly recommend getting flood insurance still even in low-risk flood zones like Flood Zone X since we've seen many times that these zones get impacted by flood for multiple reasons and according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), most flood claims are coming from these zones.

The Bad

Now, let's talk more about the bad changes which are focused on the "out to in" movement of properties in the flood map. According to the upcoming flood map updates, about 250 residents will be moved from outside the low-risk flood zones like Flood Zone X and into high-risk flood zones like Flood Zone A.

This means that the 250 properties impacted are most likely to be required to carry mandatory flood insurance from their mortgage. This can be very surprising for those who are buying flood insurance the first time, but a very common effect of these changes. This could also mean that the overall flood insurance premiums for these properties will be higher. If Colorado generally has about $855 average premium, this can go up to $1000 depending on your property's position when it comes to the base flood elevation in the area.

The Ugly

When it comes to the worst change from this flood map, which we call an ugly change, the impacted property's movement is called an "in to in". This means that there are about 22 properties moving from a high-risk area to a higher-risk flood zone. It means that you could be in a Flood Zone A and then this flood map update will have your property moved into Flood Zone AE for example.

Flood insurance premiums will be drastically higher when it comes to these properties. This means that if Colorado generally has an $855 premium on average, then you can expect your property to go have around $1200 even up to $2000 depending on how close you are to a body of water and the relative position of your house to the base flood elevation. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) may also require additional documents like photos and an elevation certificate with the mandatory flood insurance in order for your policy to take effect. 

Now, let's talk about how you can prepare for these changes and what the best flood insurance option is for you.

Flood Insurance Options

When it comes to flood insurance options, it's important to note that it won't matter what loan type you have since you can choose to go through either of these options. We have federal flood insurance and private flood insurance. Let's go through each option and understand their differences.

The NFIP Option

Federal flood insurance provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Now, it's important to note that you can access this flood insurance option only if you're in a participating community.

The NFIP offers coverage for properties, buildings, or structures of $250,000. When it comes to property coverage, other properties that aren't listed as the main building will have to get a separate policy for those additional buildings. Contents and personal items will have a coverage of $100,00. It's important to note that these coverage amounts are maxed out to those numbers. The NFIP won't also provide additional living expenses, replacement costs, and loss of use with their policy.

If you're looking to buy flood insurance through FEMA, you may have to follow a strict 30-day waiting period before the policy can take effect on your property.

The Private Flood Option

On the other side of the fence, you may go through private insurance companies' flood policies also known as the private flood. Since this is provided by private insurers, you won't have to go through the red tapes that the federal flood insurance may have. Immediately, you can see this on the general waiting period for private flood insurance. The maximum waiting time for private flood is fifteen days this is considering that you're going to have to wait in the first place.

Private flood insurance also doesn't have any coverage limits to the amount they can cover for property and personal items. This means that you can go up to $10,000,000 for the property damage coverage if you'd want to and $1,000,000 on personal items. Now, it's important to note that this is relative to your property's construction which is why it's highly recommended that homeowners with expensive buildings go through the private flood.

Private flood insurance also provides additional coverages like additional living expenses, replacement costs, and loss of use which really protects the way of life policyholder from the aftermath of flooding.

At the end of the day, it's important that we keep our guards up and especially when states like Colorado can propose a bigger flood threat due to storm runoff, spring thaw, and melting of ice and snow across the state.

So, if you have any questions on flood map changes, flood insurance, or your flood risks, reach out to us. Remember, we have an educational background in flood mitigation and we want to help protect the value of your property long term. Click the links below to watch our daily flood education videos on YouTube, call us, or get a quote from us so you can get started on your flood insurance purchase today.

        

Today, let's talk about the flood map changes coming to Roseburg and some other major cities in Oregon. To better understand this, we're going to cover the good, bad, and ugly changes for the residents, the history of flooding in the area, how it's going to impact your insurance policy, and your flood insurance options.

History of Flood

Oregon has experienced its fair share of flooding throughout history. Although most of these flooding events were before recent time, it shows how much impact the state can endure when natural disasters as such hit.

To give an example, since Oregon, specifically Douglas County has one prominent river in its vicinity, the threat of flooding can really become high and its impact equally devastating. In 1996, we've seen how the Umpqua river engulfed most of the state with flood water for weeks. This includes major areas like Roseburg, Jerry Redfern, and southwest Oregon. This event, unfortunately, caused 3 deaths and insurmountable property damage. The West Coast Flooding of '96-97  is within the same year of the Willamette flood known to cause over $500 million in damages and eight deaths in late January up to mid-February. This specific event however was due to unusual weather patterns and heavy snowfall which rapidly became snowmelt as February came in.

Generally, Spring Thaw, wherein melting of snow and ice from the previous winter starts to seep into the soil and some excess water get redirected to certain areas happen in mid-March to late-May before the Summer season which wasn't the case. In retrospect, this same event can happen in Roseburg knowing how climate change has affected the weather patterns in our country throughout the years. 

Flood insurance rate maps (FIRM) or flood maps are updates from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to show the current changes in flood risks, floodplain devolvement, and more explicitly the risk premium zones and special flood hazard areas (SFHA). This gives residents and the government an idea of how much flooding can occur in a certain area. Creating FIRM is a carefully long process since the federal government has to collect all the data on flood damage, flood loss, and flood claims coming into the communities involved throughout the years.

Lucky for Douglas County, Oregon, and Roseburg city, you won't really have to wait long since FEMA published an update on this early this March. So, let's talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly changes this flood map update may bring to the residents of Roseburg.

The Good

When it comes to the good changes, this would show as "In to Out" because generally properties impacted by this change will be moved from inside a high-risk flood zone and out to a low-risk flood zone. This may show up in maps as your property now being marked as Flood Zone X when previously it's in a Flood Zone A. This means that the 31 Roseburg homeowners will be getting lower flood insurance and won't be required to carry flood insurance on their property.

A quick disclaimer, we really discourage not getting flood insurance even if you are mapped into a low-risk area. It's important to mention that FEMA found that most flood claims come from these zones and there are also multiple reasons why it can flood in low-risk flood zones. You can check out our podcast on it below:

This change also means lower flood insurance rates on the affected properties. Oregon's rates average at around $912, so let's say you're paying a $950 premium in your previous flood zone, you can expect this to go down to maybe around $700 to $800 depending on the structure of your property.

The Bad

When it comes to these changes, it's basically the exact opposite of the good change. About 590 Roseburg properties are being moved from outside the low-risk areas to a high-risk area of flooding. This change is written as "out to in" in these FIRM updates.

Generally, if you're part of this movement, you were previously in Flood Zone X and now you're mapped into Flood Zone A. This can mean a huge impact on your flood insurance premiums since generally, this is going to be around a five to fifteen percent increase from your previous rates.

Consequentially, this means that your mortgage and FEMA will require you to carry a flood insurance policy with the property being that it's expected to experience more flood. Flood Zone A, also known as the 100-year floodplain, may experience a major flood once every one hundred years. Note, this is just a rough estimate since we've seen how unpredictable and unusual weather patterns can affect how much flood you may get.

The Ugly

Now, let's talk about around 780 properties and Roseburg property owners who are going to get an ugly hand with this change: the "In to In". This generally means that your property is already mapped in a high-risk area, maybe you're closer to the river compared to other properties and is already mapped into Flood Zone A, then you might be one of the 780 property owners who are going to be moved deeper into the high-risk area and what's generally considered as the special flood hazard area (SFHA). This will show up as your property's marked under Flood Zone AE. 

This means even higher premiums and what might be the highest one in the city. This number is highest in the flood map update since, generally, Roseburg's perimeter is inside the Umpqua River. If you'd look at the map itself, we have the South Umpqua River that goes through the city and Roseburg North is directly south of the North Umpqua River. 

If the average premium for the city is around $912, you should have your wallet ready since it is most likely for this to go up to $2000 depending on the exact location of your property relative to any body of water and its overall construction and structure. Requirements for flood insurance may also take effect as federal flood insurance sometimes asks homeowners to produce an elevation certificate and additional documents in order to approve the flood insurance purchase.

You also ought to be more careful and make sure you, your property, and personal items are prepared and protected when flooding happens because this can also mean that your general area might receive a much worse flood damage impact compared to those who are in Flood Zone A and especially Flood Zone X.

Flood Insurance Options

We always have two general options when it comes to insurance companies from where you can get your flood insurance policy from The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) under FEMA or the federal government and the Private Flood insurance market. Let's go over each option, so you know what you can get from them.

The NFIP

When it comes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), it's important mentioning that your community, Roseburg, is one of the participating communities in the NFIP. This means that the city and the federal government already reached an agreement on helping improve flood plain management regulations and reduce flood risks in the area. 

A participating community in the NFIP gets direct access to their flood insurance policy, disaster aid, and grants. This also means that you're going to have the Community Rating System (CRS) which scores Roseburg when it comes to flood mitigation. Depending on your CRS score, Roseburg might receive up to a 40% of discount on flood insurance premiums. This means that if you can lower your $912 rate to $547.

The NFIP offers coverage for properties (buildings, structures, houses) $250,000 maximum if we're talking about residential properties. This can only go up to a max of $500,000 if the policy's written as a commercial building. This is with a $100,000 max coverage for contents or personal items. The NFIP won't provide additional living expenses, loss of use, and replacement costs with the flood policy. The only time that additional living expenses and loss of use will be covered is if there's a presidential declaration for the areas affected by flooding.

Your community may also file for the Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage that goes up to a max of $30,000. This will be used for flood mitigation efforts on your property and is only eligible for properties that are in severe repetitive loss condition or substantially damaged by flood. Repetitive loss means that your property had two or more flood insurance claims in the last ten years. Substantially damaged properties on the other hand mean that your property's total flood loss is worth forty to fifty percent of its market price. If you aren't able to meet either one of these conditions, then you can't really be part of the ICC coverage.

Flood insurance purchase in the NFIP may take up to 30 days before the policy takes effect on your property, so if you're looking to get your insurance from the NFIP and FEMA, you want to file this ahead of time just to make sure.

The Private Flood

Roseburg residents may also get flood insurance from the private market or private insurance companies. Now, this option offers the same coverages and more compared to the NFIP.

First, property coverage can go up to $10,000,000 since there's no max limit when it comes to private flood policies. This goes the same for content coverage which you can get up to $1,000,000. This is why if you have a large property or an expensive one, you might want to go through this option. If you own $350,000 worth of residential property and you go through the NFIP, that means that you're going to have to let go of the $100,000 on the property and might cause some downgrades on your part.

Private flood also provides additional living expenses, loss of use, and replacement costs coverages on top of your standard flood insurance policy with them. Flood insurance requirements won't be asked too even if you're in the higher risk zones.

ICC coverage is also included with your property coverage since most of these insurance companies also want to make sure that you experience less flood loss, so they won't have to pay you a bigger amount on flood claims.

Private flood insurance purchase is significantly quicker as well. This means that you get to have your policy take effect within 15 days or less depending on the company you're getting your flood policy from.

At the end of the day, having any form of insurance is better than no insurance. The choice of where you'll be getting it really depends on you. Roseburg's geographical location can really be threatening when it comes to flood considering how rivers are in your general area all the time. Let's keep rose-colored glasses when looking at the future starting here.

So, if you have questions on flood map updates, flood insurance options, and coverages, or anything about flood, please reach out to us.

Remember, we have an educational background in flood mitigation and we want to share this knowledge with you, so you can also be prepared when crap happens through flood education and awareness.

       

Today, let's talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly changes for residents of Cheyenne in Roger Mills County. How it will impact your flood insurance rates, your flood insurance options, and the answer will you still be okay when these changes take effect in OK?

Sooner State

Historically speaking, Oklahoma hasn't had much flooding compared to other states. This more noticeable when you look into Roger Mills County. Cheyenne hasn't had a major flood disaster in the last 10 years and this is despite having been close to some form body of water. Importantly, the community is still doing efforts in making sure that flood mitigation and flood prevention are intact. This shouldn't be a reason to be complacent on things since we've seen how much damage a natural disaster can be especially last year where we had multiple hurricanes landfall across the United States.

It's worth mentioning that most of the residents here don't secure a flood insurance policy as the March 2021 report shows that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) only detected one policy in force. Maybe this is due to the fact that there's no flooding in this area. This doesn't mean that you're going to be safe since 25 percent of flood damages actually occur outside of the Special Flood Hazard Area.

Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) changes are a result of FEMA's effort in flood study to help property owners be prepared in flood scenarios. This generally includes flood hazard determinations, flood insurance rate changes under the federal government flood insurance, and the risk of flooding in an area. Let's talk about the changes on these flood maps for Cheyenne and see why you would need more policy than your standard homeowner's insurance policy.

The Good

When we say that the 112 residents will be experiencing a good change from the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), this means that the property owners' house, building, and structure is moved from in to out of the high-risk flood zone. Some would call this a move from Flood Zone A to Flood Zone X since the property is going to be removed from the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).

You can expect some of the properties across the county to be moved into the low-risk flood zone from a high-risk flood zone. This generally means lower flood insurance premium rates and no mandatory flood insurance policy to be required. However, we really discourage not getting flood insurance as we've seen in the past few months that certain areas across the country which doesn't generally flood experience flooding. Having this good change doesn't mean zero floodings moving forward since we've seen redirect of floodwater and changes in floodplain create devastating floods over at low-risk areas.

The Bad

Now, we're going to discuss a movement that's considered a bad change for about 990 homeowners since they're moving from out to in. Out to in means that you're originally from a low-risk area before the flood map update, but your property's now being moved into a high-risk area. Most people would call this a move from Flood Zone X to Flood Zone A.

Now, if you're not doing flood insurance with FEMA through the National Flood Insurance Program or Private Flood, you might want to prepare your wallet since being moved into these high-risk flood zones mean that the federal government and mortgage will require you to carry a flood policy with your property. When it comes to flood insurance purchase it's important to note that there will be higher premium rates if you're in a high-risk area like Flood Zone A and this can really be shocking if you're not financially prepared since, unlike other insurance, flood policy's mostly paid upfront.

If you already have a flood policy in place and you're part of the out to in properties being moved, then you can expect that your insurer will move your premium to a higher price as well. This can mean that a premium of $700 can go up to $1150 after this movement. Being in a high-risk zone also means that you might be asked by FEMA through the NFIP to provide additional documents as a requirement since the property's in a high-risk zone now. These documents may include an elevation certificate which can cost you as well from $600 to $1000. 

The Ugly

This change is what's called an "in to in" movement since the property was already in a high-risk zone before being moved into a higher-risk flood zone. This is what 1228 of the homeowners will experience once this flood map update takes effect. Some would see this as a move from Flood Zone A to Flood Zone AE or the 100-year flood zone. This means that FEMA determined that the area or the property has at least one percent chance of flooding every 100 years.

Now, this doesn't mean that the property will experience a flood only once every 100 years since this is just FEMA and NFIP showing the bigger picture of flood risks. We've seen in the past few years how certain things can influence a devastating flood like redirection of water, snowmelt increasing the water levels of surrounding water formations like lakes, rivers, and basins, and also consistent rainfall over the course of few days. This change also means that higher insurance premiums will be in place especially for those doing a policy with FEMA and the NFIP.

Change can be a process that we all partake with, but in this case, you can fight the changes and we'll tell you how.

Flood Insurance Options

Now, you should know that regardless of your loan or mortgage, you can start your flood insurance purchase from either FEMA or federal flood insurance or through private market flood insurance. Let's cover how they can benefit you and their differences.

The NFIP

When it comes to federal flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and FEMA, you should know that flood insurance purchase isn't immediate. You will have to follow a process that can take up to 30 days before your policy takes effect on your home. Now, it's important to note that the NFIP only provides coverage that maxes out at $250,000 for residential properties and $500,000 for commercial properties. Both of which also have coverage of contents of up to $100,000. Now, this is constant regardless if you're in a preferred low-risk zone or a high-risk zone.

Flood insurance premiums average $856, but this can go up to $2000 with FEMA and the NFIP however this can be lowered if you're in the participating communities since FEMA provides a discount of up to 40 percent. Now, this depends on your score in the Community Rating System (CRS). More importantly, regardless of the score, communities that participate with the NFIP and FEMA programs get access to disaster assistance and disaster grants. 

If you're also doing a FEMA and NFIP flood policy, you may also file for an appeal on your flood zone if you believe that you shouldn't be in a high-risk flood zone. You can do this by making sure that your elevation certificate shows that your lowest adjacent grade is above the base flood elevation, and then you can file a letter of map amendment (LOMA) to get your property removed from the high-risk zone at best or have your flood premiums be significantly lower.

The Private Flood

On the other side of the coin, there's the private flood insurance market which generally provides the same coverage that FEMA does, if not more, for lower premium rates. Now, it's important to preface that private flood may not be available for everyone since they get to choose their risks and areas they provide coverage to. If you do get your hands on private flood insurance, then you can expect a property coverage of up to $10,000,000 if you want to and $1,000,000 for contents coverage. This includes things like additional living expenses, loss of use, and replacement costs as well.

Private Flood also has a short waiting period for flood insurance. Sometimes, it takes them up to 14 days for the policy to be completed, but most times it can be done over a span of 48 hours from application. The good thing about the private flood as well is that I've seen flood claims get paid on both sides. You won't also need additional documents when it comes to private flood since each company has its own resources to determine the flood risks in your area.

At the end of the day, flood insurance is more than another insurance since this is your only flood protection against natural disasters. Losing your house and your personal property because they were uninsured can really turn your life upside down.

Remember, we have an educational background in flood mitigation, so if you have any questions on flood insurance, flood insurance rates or premiums, how to check your flood zone, how to cancel your NFIP policy, or anything about flood, please feel free to reach out to us through our links below.

       

Is the flood map update for Fairfield City fair for the resident's pockets?

Let's talk about the recent update on flood maps for Fairfield City in Jefferson County, Iowa. What does it mean, how can it impact you, and can you fight these changes?

At the start of March 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent out new flood maps for Jefferson County, Iowa. This Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) update means that there will be changes in both flood zone designations for properties as well as flood insurance premiums. The state expects 20.5% of its properties to be impacted by these changes for the good, bad, and even the ugly.

If we are to look back at the most recent flooding in the state, it's noticeable that there has been quite some flooding in the state as a whole. This is mostly due to storms pushing out of the state or the aftermath of storms themselves. At one point, I can recall that news broke out since more than 6000 homeowners lost electricity due to 4 inches of rain coming through Jefferson and Wapello. In recent years, flood incidents are mostly brought by heavy rainfall, storm drains overflowing, and the aforementioned storms. Regardless, these situations can bring devastating floods as we've seen across the country the past few years. 

This can really be difficult for Fairfield since reports showed that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) only accounted for six flood insurance policies that are active. Now, this data might be delayed, but if this represents the state of flood insurance in the city then it can be dangerous for both the property owner and their respective properties.

Let's talk about the good changes, the bad, and the ugly ones to better understand what these numbers really mean for your flood insurance.

The Good

Good news for a few residents in the city since 22 homeowners are going to experience an "in to out" movement. This generally means that if you're currently in a high-risk flood zone, flood zone A, then the flood map update will have you removed from these zones to a preferred low-risk flood zone, like flood zone X.

This can mean that you'll no longer have to carry mandatory flood insurance for your property. However, if you'd look at the numbers, even low-risk flood zones get flooded due to a redirection of water. If you were to listen to our advice and keep your flood insurance policy intact then you're going to expect a lower flood insurance premium once the flood map update takes effect. This can mean that if you're currently paying for a $1000 premium, it can go down to $700 to $800.

The Bad

On the other hand, if you'd look at the bad side, there will be around 3000 properties moved from outside of low-risk flood zones into high-risk flood zones. Some would call this a move from flood zone X to flood zone A, but you can also call it as "out to in". This can really be bad for these homeowners since it means that their property is recorded to have a higher possibility of flood compared to the previous years. Equally, this also means that the federal government, NFIP, and FEMA will require you to carry flood insurance for your property. If you thought that you don't need one then FEMA and NFIP have good reasons why you should get one.

Other than the higher risk of flooding, it's also important to note that this can cost you more money if you're already doing a flood insurance policy. For these zones, you can expect a rate increase of five to fifteen percent increase in your flood insurance premium once the update takes effect. This can mean that a $1000 flood insurance premium before can become $1150 and if you're doing a National Flood Insurance Program's policy then you might also need to prepare for additional documents since you're now in a high-risk flood zone.

The Ugly

Lastly, there's the ugly change. We call this change as "in to in" since you're already in a high-risk flood zone like flood zone A and this update will have you moved into flood zone AE or the 100-year floodplain which is a higher risk flood zone and a special flood hazard zone.

This is the case for about 90 properties in the city. Property owners will be sure to face a storm of headaches since there's going to be a significantly higher risk for floods in these areas. This is generally because a community in flood zone AE has one chance of flood hazard every one hundred years, but this is just the big picture since there will be flooding given the circumstances as we've seen in the past few years.

Since there's a significant difference between the number of those experiencing bad and ugly changes compared to the good ones, let's talk about how you can fight these changes.

Flood Insurance Options

It's common knowledge that you can definitely get flood policy from the federal government through the NFIP and FEMA. If you're in a community that participates in their program, you may also take advantage of the benefits that the federal flood insurance provides to participating communities.

These benefits will depend on your community rating system (CRS) and the higher score your community gets, the higher discounts and perks you get. This can come through a flood insurance premium of up to forty percent. However, this doesn't exclude you from being required to carry a policy for your property if you're being moved into the bad and ugly changes. You can reach out to your floodplain management to check if you're a participating community.

Let's say you're already doing a policy with the NFIP and FEMA, you might be wondering what to do to fight these changes. For one, you can also get an elevation certificate to show that your lowest adjacent grade is above the base flood elevation which will significantly lower your flood insurance rate. You can also use the same elevation certificate with photos to file for a letter of map amendment (LOMA) which can get you removed from the high-risk flood zone however it's important to note that this won't guarantee a win on your part.

Another option is to move to private flood insurance. Now, we've heard that a lot of people are scared of going through a private flood market, but this shouldn't be a cause of worry. You can rest easy knowing that private flood provides the same coverage and benefits as the NFIP, if not more. We usually call this "more for less" since there are customers that get up to $10,000,000 in their overall coverage for their property.

It's also important to note that in the event of a flood unless there's a presidential declaration, federal flood insurance won't provide additional living expenses which is something that most private flood insurance companies include in their coverage.

There are cases as well where the NFIP will require additional documents for your application however the private flood generally has a different process in determining the flood risk of your property which won't cost you a dime.

 

Everyone experiences this type of change however it's integral that you too will be prepared in the event of a flood. Flood damage can take a lot from a person more than their property as previous floodings across the country show, and without the right insurance, this can really make or break you.

Remember, we have an educational background in flood mitigation, so if you have any questions on flood insurance, flood insurance rates or premiums, how to check your flood zone, how to cancel your NFIP policy, or anything about flood, please feel free to reach out to us through our links below:

       

We've known states for their unique reasons, but will these reasons mitigate flood risk in the area? Let's find out and travel to the Sunshine State of Florida to see.

Another month, another news for the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Don't fret all too soon, these updates are very important for you and your community as well. Today, we'll cover a few ground focusing on the states, or specifically areas with the highest impact on the most recent update this March on these changes. Note, everyone can expect an update however not all areas get updated in the same amount of time.

Updating flood maps is no short process. Flood insurance studies have to take place, then they have to be reviewed and changes have to be recommended by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The community then has to review these changes and get the communities feedback. In some areas, we've seen floodplain maps go 25 years without updates.

Flood map updates will show when your city will receive these updates and if your property is being moved into or removed from Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). Remember, flood maps are measurements of floodplains and as base-flood elevation levels increase per year (No thanks to the climate change for sure), so it's better safe than sorry.

 

Let's do a quick review, so that you won't get confused when looking at the flood map update.

Flood Map Updates

It's important to note that these updates will show you the following

• When the update is projected
• How many maps are being changed
• What communities are being changed
• How they are being changed: In to in, in to out, and out to in SFHA
• Impact of these changes on the communities
  
  

When we say that your property is filed under "in to in", this means that there were no changes made to your community, still you're at the SFHA. "In to out" means your community is being moved from "in" the SFHA and "out" of it. Vice-versa, "out to in" means that your property was "out" of the SFHA, but is now being moved "in" the SFHA.

The Sunshine State

Florida got two of its counties included in the March 2021 update, specifically Gulf County and Okaloosa County. A total of 21.2% of the combined areas were impacted by these change. This impact doesn't necessarily mean a negative impact.

Florida is normally the most popular area in the country for hurricanes to hit. The state is relatively flat which can cause flooding issues without a hurricane. However when hurricanes hit they can cause some serious flood problems and history taught us the hard way, like with Hurricane Andrew. In a recent flood incident, there were 8 total fatalities and about $7.3 billion in property damage as Port St. Joe City was slapped by Hurricane Sally's outer rain bands. This is one of a great examples of how much an impact flood water can cause.

 

The Good

When we say this flood map update is good, we meant it by looking at the 2,362 properties being moved from in to out. Meaning that these properties are most likely to move from high risk flood zone or the SFHA to a low risk flood zone. Some say that this sounds like your property is moved from Flood Zone AE to Flood Zone X.

It's important to note however that this may not mean that you're moving from SFHA to a Flood Zone X, but considering that Port St. Joe has been experiencing flooding recently, the map update can mean you'll be moving from Flood Zone AE to Flood Zone A. Regardless, this change means that "in to out" areas will have lower rates compared to others.

The map change also means that if you're moving out of the SFHA or higher risk flood zone, your current rate will be lowered. Say, you're paying a $2000 flood insurance rate, that can become lower by 6% to 11% which is around $120 to $220. The rate and decrease depends on where you are, but surely the flood rates on areas that are going "in to out" will be having a happier wallets starting this month.

If you're also thinking about not getting flood insurance, I'd recommend that you don't do that as flooding in the past years have become more unpredictable yet more devastating even if it's not brought by a hurricane.

The Bad

11, 453 properties were negatively impacted with this update. This basically is 88 out of 93 maps changed. You may be used to these flooding in the city, but it still bears a lot of flood damage for your property and flood damage drastically increased in the last 10 years.

The flood threat along rivers and lakes in Florida isn't as high as other parts of the country. These are areas where many people let their guard down by not carrying flood insurance and it shows in the new data since only 1, 614 of the 17, 521 properties have flood insurance policies in force.

Moving from "out to in" will increase flood insurance rates. Generally, it's usually a direct opposite of The Good. You can expect an increase to your flood insurance rate of 6% to 11% or more. Another thing to expect is that the government, FEMA and NFIP, will require you to have flood insurance if you have mortgage on your property, and an elevation certificate too. If you didn't need flood insurance then, you'll have to get one now.

Being in flood prone areas in times of hurricane can hurt more than your person, it's a deep cut as well for your property. This update is a great-to-know since regardless of the strength of the rain, you'll be able to properly prepare your insurance. Such changes or movement to a higher risk flood zone also causes your property value to go down due to the flood risks even becoming more possible.

Don't worry, we'll cover your flood insurance options later.

The Ugly

Properties mapped under the "in to in" have to really prepare themselves for much worse. This update means that communities from in flood zone A were moved to flood zone AE, and worse flood zone AE communities are now mapped as flood zone AH or even VE.

Port St. Joe seems to have most of its areas moved into flood zone VE especially those closest to the coast. This means that that your already-expensive flood insurance rates will become more expensive and will ask for higher rates. This can cause your flood rate to go higher than 11% of  your current rate, possibly even up to 20% or more. Such movement really is threatening everyone's property, business or livelihood, and most importantly safety. 

Changing of the base flood elevation means the 100 year flood threat could have changed. This is the level FEMA or NFIP feels that flood waters could come to. So, being mapped from a high risk flood zone to an area with a higher flood risk should be enough of a reason for you to make sure that you have better coverage with your flood insurance policy.

What now?

Flood Insurance Options

You'll have to options for your flood insurance needs. You can go through FEMA and the NFIP which can offer $250,000 to $500,000 coverage for buildings or structures, and $100,000 for personal property or contents. If you have a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or Veteran's Affair (VA) loan, this might be the only option that's good for you. There will be a great adjustment for you as well in the event that this happens as the NFIP doesn't cover additional living expenses. You can check our podcast to know more about the NFIP flood insurance benefits:

On the other side, you can get flood insurance from a private flood insurance company or the private market. This can be more helpful financially as they offer lower rates with more benefits. The private market can get you up to $10,000,000 your property. It's also important to know that private flood will also cover additional living expenses. Check the podcast below to see how private market can help you with your flood insurance:

We mentioned that being moved into SFHA will have FEMA and NFIP ask for an elevation certificate. Elevation certificates can cost around $500 up to $2000 depending on where you are at the flood zones. In special flood hazard zones (SFHA), you're going to have to expect to cost higher, around $1500 and above. This certificate will also directly impact your flood insurance rates. Check out our video and podcast on elevation certificates, so that you know how to better use it for your benefit.

This doesn't mean the end for your wallet though. Being mapped into the SFHA, doesn't mean that you're going to have to really accept that you're going to pay for higher flood insurance premiums. You should always reach out to your insurance agent to consult on what to do on this update.

It's important to remember that elevation certificate can help you get removed from SFHA through letter of map amendment (LOMA). Learn more about letter of amendment with our video below.

 

 

Your property's location in the flood map and what flood zone it sits on directly affects your flood insurance rates. If you're close to a river and you're in a Flood Zone A or Flood Zone AE, then your flood insurance premium is going to be much higher since your property has higher flood risks. Keep in mind that NFIP 2.0's flood insurance ratings depend on how close you are to SFHA, and with flood map updates, you might not know when that blue area knocks on your door. You can understand more about flood zones by checking our video and podcast below:

 

We get flood map updates every month, so if you want to be up-to-date and be prepared for when crap happens, do consider subscribing to our YouTube channel as we post updates there all the time.

Remember, we have an educational background on flood mitigation. So if you have questions on how flood map changes or updates affect your property, your flood insurance situation with these changes, or any question about flood, let us know by calling us through the links below:

 

 

Flood Map changes are happening everyday. Federal Emergency Management Agency and NFIP are updating flood maps as quick as possible. However not all areas get updated the same amount of time.

 

 

Before we look at some of these changes in Franklin Indiana let's start off with a little flood joke.

What do girlfriends, boyfriends, and flood map changes have in common? Not all change is bad!ha! ha!

The recent flood map change in Franklin Indiana took place on January 29, 2021. This was the first flood map change in the area by the National Flood Insurance Program since 2007.

Updating flood maps is no short process. Flood Insurance studies have to take place, then they have to be reviewed and changes have to be recommended. Then the community has to review these changes and get the communities feed back. We have seen some floodplain maps go 25 years without being updated.

When these changes occur it means that the base flood elevation is changing.

What is the base flood elevation?

 

It could be going up or it could be going down. Either way it can have a major impact on property owners like it has in the Franklin Indiana and Johnson county Indiana area.

When these flood plain maps are updated future flood risk is considered and so is the source for flood. Many times these changes can lower or increase the current flood risk.

So how does all this impact property owners and flood rate insurance? Well it can have a major impact on flood insurances rates and flood insurance requirements.

Franklin Indiana Flood Map Changes

If you are currently required to carry flood insurance in Franklin Indiana then you could see your current flood rate change.

When these changes occur in the Franklin community or other communities its important to understand the community floodplain map and digital flood insurance rate maps if there are any.

Today we are going to look at the good, bad, and ugly flood zone changes. It is important to understand that not all changes are bad for property values. 

Let's look at the good changes first. We are talking about properties that might be removed from the flood plain or from the special flood hazard area.

This generally means you are going from the 100 year flood zone to the 500 year flood zone. Some people refer to this as going from flood zone A or AE to flood zone X. When these changes occur historical flood events are reviewed as well as the degree of flood that occurred.

What is flood zone X?

 

These updates will normally show on the flood insurance rate maps also known as the FIRM. The good news is when this happens the flood insurance requirements on the property on normally removed. Does this mean you should not get flood insurance through the NFIP or federal flood insurance? Not all as recent flood damage has shown us flooding can happen anywhere and at anytime. The costs of floods have significantly increased over the last 10 years.

Even if you are not in the 100 year flood area on the current flood map you should still consider purchasing flood insurance.

There are a few flood insurance options which we will discuss later.

Franklin Indiana Flood Zones

Let's look at the bad flood zone changes at least on property value. We are talking about properties that have recently been placed in the special flood hazard area. These are properties that normally went from flood zone x to flood zone a or flood zone AE.

When this happens the flood insurance requirements will change here and NFIP will now require flood insurance if there is a mortgage on the property. These properties could hav also changed flood zones if the floodplain changed or if the base flood elevation changed.

Changing of the base flood elevation means the 100 year flood threat could have changed. This is the level FEMA or NFIP feels that flood waters could come to.

Now let's look at the ugly flood zone changes. These could be properties that are moving from flood zone A to flood zone AE or even flood zone AE to flood zone V.

What is Flood Zone AE?

 

When this occurs many times a new base flood elevation has been established.

Understanding where you are located on the floodplain maps can be very important especially when it comes to possibly getting a letter of map amendment.

Remember this is when you get a special exception to have the property removed from the special flood hazard area.

In doing this there are normally a few things that are required like a property deed, elevation certificate, and a copy of the tax plot.

This is also the process to fight these flood map changes.

Flood Insurance Options

Now let's look at the flood insurance options. We have discussed the NFIP or the National Flood Insurance Program. This is also known as the federal flood insurance program. It offers building coverage up to $250,000 on residential buildings and $100,000 in contents coverage. If you have a government loan like FHA or VA this might be the only option for flood insurance. Now let's look at private flood insurance.

Private flood insurance in the Franklin Indiana area has had a lot of changes over the last 10 years. Now there can be multiple options available that could offer a lower price and higher amounts of coverage on flood insurance policies.

If you are working with a Franklin Insurance Agency you want to make sure they have private flood insurance options available for you.

So if you have further questions about flood insurance, flood maps, or fight the flood zones in Franklin Indiana then make sure to click here.

You can also visit our YouTube channel where we do daily flood education videos.

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

Will my NFIP or FEMA flood insurance pay out in Alabama?

It's a question we get from property owners in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Anniston, and Huntsville Alabama everyday.

 

What is a Flood?

We are specifically looking at what the National Flood Insurance Program or NFIP and how they define a flood. In regards to private flood insurance in Alabama they normally follow the same guidelines for defining what is considered a flood.

According the NFIP manual a flood is defined as a normal dry area that is inundated with water. It specifically states that it must be 2 acres or 2 parcels.

When taking out a flood insurance policy many property owners are confused about coverages. They also are confused about what the real risk of flooding exist.

 

 

Alabama Flooding

Growing up in Birmingham Alabama I can tell you the flood threat exists across Alabama. I remember watching the Vestavia bowling alley parking lot flood every time it rains. Flood damage in these areas was very common but many times not filed as a flood insurance claims.

This occurred many times as flash flooding in the area. Many areas like South Shades Creek or the Cahaba River could rise quickly.

After the 2019 flooding in Alabama some people on Lake Logan Martin were surprised to find out they didn't have flood insurance coverage for things like docks.

Whether you live in a low risk, moderate risk, or high risk flood zone it's important to know if your flood insurance policy will actually pay out on a claim.

It's important to know that generally most homeowners insurance policies will not cover flood.

So what exactly does FEMA or NFIP consider a parcel? According to the NFIP manual a parcel can be considered a roadway if it touches another property. This is important to understand if your home is the only building flooded. You want to make sure flood coverage you pay for would actually pay out.

So if coverages do pay out after a flood in Alabama what does flood insurance cover? It depends if you have a private flood insurance policy or an NFIP policy. Coverages provided can be different. Let's look at coverages that can be provided on an NFIP flood insurance policy.

• Building coverage
• Contents coverage (Personal property)

Depending on what coverages you select flood insurance costs could range and you could end up with affordable flood insurance. NFIP offers up to $250,000 on residential buildings and up to $100,000 on contents coverage.

Just because policies have a certain amount of coverage does not mean you would receive that on a flood insurance claim.

NFIP has an 80% rule when paying out claims. This means in order to have replacement cost on the building in Alabama you have to insure for 80% of replacement cost or get the max amount of building coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program. Many private flood insurance companies also have this guideline.

 

We have actually seen some private flood insurance companies require 90% of the replacement cost and not look at the max amount of coverage available.

Contents coverage on flood insurance policies work a little bit differently in Alabama. If doing a flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program these are written on an actual cash value basis.

March first with awareness on these flood insurance rate map updates.

Palmetto

In the recent March 2021 Flood Map Update, Beaufort County, S.C. received the highest impact of 18.8% for this flood change. 104,942 properties that were studied had 32, 510 (In to In) and 1, 482 (Out to In) of them are in the SFHA. This means that even more properties are moving into Flood Zone A and AE.

Mossy Oaks for example, despite having projects to properly mitigate everyone's property from flood damage, should still look out since this percentage (just for this month) may increase moving forward. In 2017, news were filled of its flooding due to rainfall from Hurricane Irma. 

A year before Irma, Hurricane Matthew also brought devastating flood onto Hilton Head Island bringing devastating flood water to the island. Matthew started on September 28, but the only road access to Hilton Head Island was not reopened until October 11 of the same year.

Now we've looked at the lenses of history, let's look into the good, the bad, and the ugly changes for Hilton Head Island and see how much this will affect flood insurance rates as well as your flood insurance options.

The Good

In this latest Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) update, there's around 18,000 Hilton Head Island residents that were inside the Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) are now being moved out to preferred flood zones or lower risk flood zones compared to the SFHA. This movement is what we call "In to Out".

In to Out means that residents who are being moved into Flood Zone X will have their banks no longer require a flood insurance policy with their property. This is really helpful for those with multiple non-primary residence property or buildings since that costs more and generally has a separate flood insurance policy. Still, we do recommend that you maintain a flood insurance policy for your property as we've seen in latest news how much a small rainfall can create flood damage for days on end.

There might be cases as well that certain residents are being moved from a higher flood risk zone to a lower one, like Flood Zone AE to Flood Zone A or Flood Zone V to Flood Zone AE. This also means that the further way you get from the blue area which is the color of the SFHA, you'll get a decrease in your flood insurance premium.

Considering how the Risk Rating 2.0 updates have significantly increased the NFIP flood policy premium, this movement can really be helpful for these Hilton Head residents.

The Bad

Bad news for about 1,500 residents of Hilton Head though since they're moving "out to in" which means they were in preferred flood zones like Flood Zone X and now has been moved into high risk flood zones. This means that your bank and the National Flood Insurance Program will require you to get flood insurance for your property owners in these zones. You can learn more on these flood zones by checking our content below.

If your community is currently in the NFIP Participating Community then it's your best shot at reducing the higher flood insurance premiums as a Hilton Head Island resident. This is because the Community Rating System (CRS) can really be helpful in providing discounts from 5 to 40 percent for the government-backed flood insurance policies.

Participating community benefits are really helpful since you'll have access to the NFIP flood insurance policy, the government's disaster assistance and grants. You can always reach out to your elected officials over at the city hall or your flood plain management to check on your community's current standing when it comes to participating in the NFIP.

The Ugly

Even worse news for the 31% of the residents in the island though since the recent update moved them from "in to in". This is really ugly since you're already in a high risk flood zone and you're being moved to a higher risk flood zones. This generally means that residents are being moved from Flood Zone A to Flood Zone AE which is known as 100-year flood zone or even the coastal zones like Flood Zone V.

This definitely means that you're going to receive drastic increase in your premium with the National Flood Insurance Program policy. More than the threat storm surge for being moved into coastal flood zone, this is really something to look out for since these increases will really hurt your wallet.

Flood Insurance Options

Let's say you're in an area where there's only one annual chance flood for the every 100 years, you shouldn't be taking it easy as base-flood elevation seems to increase every year as well. This means that even if you're in a preferred zone, it's better to have flood insurance with your property regardless.

We've mentioned becoming a participating community with the National Flood Insurance Program which provides a flood insurance policy that can cover you for up to $250,000 for your property and $100,000 for your contents. However it's important to note that there'll be a strict waiting period for both your flood insurance purchase and flood insurance claims. The NFIP also doesn't provide "additional living expenses" for non-Presidentially declared disaster. When it comes to flood insurance premiums, this can go from $800 to $2000 depending on which flood zone your property is in.

The good thing about the NFIP is that they don't choose their risks and will provide flood insurance coverage regardless whereas private flood may choose to cancel or non-renew these policies they have due to the area having too much of a high risk in flooding.

On the other hand, there's also the private flood insurance market which can provide property/building insurance of up to $10,000,000 coverage. Their content coverage of up to $500,000 plus replacement costs and additional living expenses. Additional living expenses means that whatever the costs you're going to need as your property is being renovated or repaired is going to be covered by the private insurance company. The overall processing time for purchase and claim are significantly faster as well since private flood doesn't have to go through all the red tape that the government requires before giving out flood insurance claims.

At the end of the day, any owner should be prepared even before any flooding happens. Remember, if you have any questions on flood insurance, flood insurance rates or premiums, how to check your flood zone, how to cancel your NFIP policy, or anything about flood, please feel free to reach out to us through our links below: