Although no one expects a flood to occur, sometimes it happens.  And, unfortunately, it could happen at any time and any place.  Even if you don’t live in a flood plain, your home could suffer flood damage.  Being protected with flood insurance is a way to avoid any issue when dealing with floods.  Here are answers to some basic questions that will help you understand the importance of flood insurance.

Don’t I already have flood insurance?

Many people mistakenly believe that floods are covered by their property insurance, but this is very rare—even if you live in a high-risk area.  Flood insurance is a policy distributed by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and not by individual insurance companies; although, some companies are “write-your-own” carriers and can sell you NFIP policies. Even if you carry homeowners insurance, you probably aren’t protected from the damages caused by floods.

Do I really need flood insurance?

In a word – no, but there’s also no law that says you should look both ways before crossing the street.  It just makes sense.  Much like other types of insurance, there is a waiting period before your policy takes effect.  This is to prevent people from purchasing insurance after an emergency.  It will cost you much less if you are prepared before disaster strikes than simply waiting for the floods to come to get insured.

Perhaps some basic logic will help drive my point home: If you live in a region that floods frequently you should get flood insurance, because you’re more likely to get flooded.  If you live in a lower risk region you should get flood insurance because it is much less expensive to be prepared than to try to protect yourself when the damage has already been done.  At CNC Insurance Brokerage, we’ll help you find a policy that is right for you.

Photo credit: http://eofdreams.com/flood.html