Flood Insurance

The September flooding this year in Colorado damaged or destroyed 2000 homes across the Front Range area. Covering nearly 2,000 square miles, the waters came in a hurry and washed out hundreds of miles of roads. According to experts, the chance of this type of flooding is around 1%, or once every 100 years. Colorado is an area not common to heavy rainfall or flooding, and yet this year many are left devastating circumstances.

FLOOD INSURANCE

The power of water is clearly evident by the national news coverage Colorado received; rushing water can destroy homes in the blink of an eye. Even in areas that only see a flood every 100 years or so. For those homes that survive, the cleaning and repairing of water damage, mold, mildew, and other damage can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars without adequate coverage.

Unfortunately for many Colorado residents, they learned the hard way that flood insurance coverage is not part of standard homeowners insurance. In all, 65 percent of homeowners do not have flood insurance coverage and many do not realize that flood coverage requires a separate flood insurance policy.

Flood can happen anywhere. According to the Insurance Information Institute, floods play a role in 90 percent of all natural disasters in the United States. This indicates that a home is more likely to be flooded than to be burned or destroyed by fire, tornado or hurricane. In fact, over 11 million homes lay within flood zones, but only a quarter of homeowners in areas susceptible to floods purchase flood insurance coverage.

Purchasing Flood Coverage

Flood insurance is not something you can purchase after it starts to rain. Many policies require a 30-day waiting period to begin coverage, so it is important to plan ahead and prepare for the worst. A standard flood insurance coverage policy covers direct and indirect flood damage to the home up to $250,000. This will include damage to household appliances, but not personal items. Personal items must be covered separately.

Talk to your agent about your coverage including flood insurance, and water damage coverage from rain, hail, snow, and/or groundwater. Look for ways to save money on basic homeowners insurance in order to afford the extra protection against water damage. Even those who live in the desert can be affected by flooding; rushing water can destroy roads, homes, families, and even take human life. When the one percent change happens in your neighborhood, it is already too late. Prepare now to cover your most valuable asset.

By Matt Reynolds - Google+

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