March 2022 Alabama Flooding Again?!: Will It Cause Flood Map Updates?

Birmingham Alabama — There seems to be no room to breathe when it comes to flood threats in Alabama as the state faces another week of intense storms starting this afternoon (Tuesday, 03/22).

Being safe from flooding storms out of the state. This might also present some impacts to flood insurance. You may have thought about it, so we'll ask the important question when it comes to this weather event that's rampaging Alabama...

Will this flash flooding in Alabama cause a Flood Map Update?

Second Round of Storms

Last week, we saw a lot of flash flooding going around as a result of heavy rains that blindsided residents in Alabama. This flood event caused a lot of roads to close and get inundated with water in Alabama.

It may seem that this is where it ends for the troublesome weather conditions for commuters and residents however it looks like it was just the beginning as severe weather is reported to move across the Southern Plains.

This second batch will be bringing the same heavy rains and strong winds starting this evening of Tuesday (March 22nd). At the time of writing, WBRC News said that rainfall amounts could be around 2 to 4 inches of rain during this period.

Source: WBRC News (www.wbrc.com)

We've seen how bad this amount could get especially when it comes to all that runoff flash flooding.

Last week, you probably saw how bad these types of severe storms can impact growing areas like Birmingham City, Jefferson County, and Shelby County in Alabama.

Without really giving the state a break, flood levels and flood threats from rivers, runoff, and snowmelt can definitely add salt to the wound.

Since flood risks are the focal point of flood insurance when it comes to rating systems in both federal and private flood insurance, this begs the question:

Will this create another flood map update for these areas in Alabama?

March 2022 Flooding:
Will It Result in Flood Map Updates?

If I were to tell you to take a shot every time a good flood insurance agent says that these won't be affecting flood insurance at all, we would both need to get someone to drive us home.

This is because we already moved out of purely basing flood insurance rates and measuring risks through flood zones alone.

This is especially true with the Risk Rating 2.0 which started for most new policyholders in October 2022. When the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) moved out of the regular rating structure of using flood zones as the main basis, this only meant that your flood risks will be the focal point of federal flood insurance.

This only means that such type of consistent flooding due to heavy rainfall will only get you further deeper into higher risks which in turn can create flood maps being updated to show these risks for residents of Alabama.

There are a lot of factors that are already impacting the overall chance of floods in the state. This includes the following things, especially during this climate crisis:

• Rising sea levels on the coast
• Amount of precipitation in an area
• Hurricane impacts across Alabama
• Drought causes dirt not to be able to seep water properly
  
  

The climate conditions that we are facing are the byproduct of the same climate crisis around the world.

This is why in a recent video, we did a flood intensity comparison where we found that flooding last 2-3 years is significantly more frequent if you were to compare it with the last 10 - 15 years for Alabama.

You can watch that video below and read our blog about it by clicking here:

These are but a few things that impact your risks and based on the damaging floods from inches of rainfall that Alabama is experiencing, it's expected for the floodplain management and flood maps to reflect these risks.

— What does it mean for flood insurance and why does this matter if flood zones are no longer in the equation when it comes to rating systems?

Well, you only have to look at what these flood zones represent: flood risks in an area.

With that being said, it's best to really overhaul your flood insurance policy or get one for your property if there isn't one already. This is the best protection you can get when flooding happens.

We hope that everyone stays safe during this whole rainfall event which may even happen again in the upcoming weeks for this month. This is one thing we should all be prepared for as snow starts to melt and add to flood conditions.

So if you have questions on your flood risks in Alabama, how to get flood insurance, and anything related to floods and flood insurance click below to go to our Flood Learning Center or you can also talk to us.

Remember, we have an educational background in flood mitigation which we use to help property owners like you understand your flood risks, insurance policies, and protect the value of your property long-term.