What is a Loss Run?

There is a lot of flood insurance fancy terms and phrases that go into the industry. Sometimes this can get confusing or overwhelming. We want to avoid this and really just simplify flood insurance for everyone.

For this article, we want to talk about what loss runs really are. We also want to talk about how to impact flood insurance rates and we also want to show you how we can help you solve this problem.

What Are Loss Runs?

Let's just throw out the window all the fancy language when it comes to this. Loss runs are basically a list of any flood losses and/or flood claims that occurred in the insured property.

This means that if your property got flooded or if a claim was filed under it, that would be included in this recorded list. It's important to remember, that since we're talking about flood loss and flood claims, the list won't just include the claims you filed as an owner.

The thing about loss runs is that they can become a basis for understanding your flood risks and even flood insurance premiums.

So how do you find the loss runs for your property?

FINDING LOSS RUNS

Sometimes, an insurance company can ask you for a copy of your property's list of flood loss or loss runs. When it comes to private flood insurance, getting a loss run for the property. This is because some carriers may not keep track of the flood claims and flood loss that occurred on a property.

On the other hand, when it comes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), they can provide the loss run for a property. The list can generally start from 1970 up to the most recent one.

It's important to note however that they will only provide a loss run for the current owner of the property. This means that if you're scouting for a home and the closing hasn't been made, yet, you can't really request FEMA and the NFIP to provide you a loss run copy.

IMPACTS OF LOSS RUNS

Not having a clear view of your flood losses can mean that your flood insurance carrier may change your rates to higher flood insurance premiums due to the unknown flood risks in the property.

This is why it's important to send a signed No Loss Letter which basically says that there have been no flood loss or flood claims made on your property to the best of your knowledge.

One of the impacts of knowing your loss runs for a property is that you also get an idea of your potential flood insurance premium. This is especially true since FEMA and NFIP as they have what we call a Claim Variable. Where they will do a review of how many claims are made on the property in the last ten years regardless of the owner. This is what's called a 10-Year lookback.

We've seen how this can negatively impact a property owner. We recently had a client whose policy was non-renewed or simply rejected upon renewal just because it slipped under their radar that a $200,000 flood claim was previously made on their home insured with a flood policy. We had to help them find another option to get flood insurance.

HELPING YOU WITH LOSS RUNS

The first thing you have to do is to communicate with an insurance broker or flood insurance specialist to help you understand your flood risks. They can also help you get a No Loss Form or Letter sent to your new carrier so that you avoid getting blindsided by unknown claims.

This way, we can also help you navigate through these flood losses so that you can expect how your flood insurance premiums will turn out. Some steps would include minimizing your property's flood risk in order to get the best flood insurance option and be confident with your flood policy's premium rates.

If you want to learn how to navigate your property's loss runs, just follow these three simple steps:

• Fill out this form —
• Talk with our flood education specialist.
• Get back to the important things in your life.