Community Corner
Do You Need Flood Insurance?
Did you pace nervously along the banks of the creek closest to your home during last Sunday's deluge? If you don't have flood insurance, the repairs would have been all on you.
Just a few inches of water in your home can cause tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. For the five years ending in 2011, the average flood claim in the U.S. was $30,000. But depending upon the source of the flood, your regular homeowners insurance policy won’t cover the damage. You need federally backed flood insurance.
The City of Palo Alto participates in the National Flood Insurance Program which means that all residents and businesses are eligible to purchase flood insurance. If you live in a high risk area and have a mortgage, your mortgage lender most likely requires flood insurance. But even if you live in a low risk area, you can still buy flood insurance. The same holds true if you don’t have a mortgage. Everyone is eligible.
Flood insurance rates start at $129 per year and go up based upon risk, age of the home and other factors.
Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The federal government maintains a website to answer questions about flood insurance, FloodSmart.gov.
Here are some facts about flood insurance premiums from the website:
Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Flood insurance premiums are calculated based on factors such as:
- Year of building construction
- Building occupancy
- Number of floors
- The location of its contents
- Its flood risk (is it in a flood zone)
- The location of the lowest floor in relation to the elevation requirement on the flood map (in newer buildings only)
- The deductible you choose and the amount of building and contents coverage
Unless your policy is linked to a new mortgage, there's a 30-day waiting period from date of purchase before your policy goes into effect.
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