Few homeowners understand the need for flood insurance. There are two reasons for this. The first is that they don’t live in an area that has floods, and the second reason is that they believe their current homeowners policy will cover flood damage. Let’s take a look at both of these thoughts.

My homeowners policy covers flooding:

Although your policy will likely cover water damage from a fire when the flames are put out, this is about as far as it goes. Any type of flooding from a natural disaster is not going to be covered with your policy. There is simply too much risk associated with flooding, so insurance companies will not pay out claims for this type of damage. You can look at your policy carefully, and you will find this to be true. In fact, even if you wanted to add it to your policy, your insurance provider will not do it. You need to buy a separate policy from a company that works with the National Flood Insurance Program. It is the government the runs this program because the private sector insurance companies will not provide it on their own.

I don’t live in a flood area:

Although certain areas of the country are more prone to flooding than others, flooding can occur anywhere. Flooding is unpredictable, and this is the main reason insurance companies will not touch this type of insurance. Deserts have flash flooding, hurricanes produce flooding, and storms can be found everywhere that cause flooding. Never assume that you live in a flood-free zone. It is true that certain areas are less likely to have flooding, and your premiums will reflect this, but you need to have a flood insurance policy. Do not wait to buy insurance. The longer you put it off, the better the odds are that you will regret it. Damage from flooding can be costly, and you may not have the money for cleanup and repairs when it occurs.

Again, it is the government that runs the flood insurance program, but you purchase this insurance through government approved insurance agents. There are several flood insurance orlando fl agents that can provide you with a quote.

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