National Flood Insurance Program

Residents living along the U.S. coastline should always invest in flood insurance for their properties. Hurricane season takes place June through November along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states, and these monstrous storms can affect residents living in Texas all the way up to Maine. Pacific landfalls typically affect Mexico, so we will primarily focus on the eastern seaboard and Gulf of Mexico here. Tropical storms, along with hurricanes, cost Americans millions of dollars each year, and during some seasons this cost can escalate well above this amount. Not having home flood insurance only aggravates these costs and causes more pain to homeowners once the storm is over. In fact Tropical Storm Allison, which devastated the upper Texas coast back in 2001, was responsible for over $5 billion in damage alone. This was the costliest tropical storm to go down in the history books in the United States. Twenty-three people died in Texas alone, and 41 people died altogether across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Virginia, and Pennsylvania before all was said and done. What made Allison so deadly? Flooding. Houston, Texas received a record 35 inches of rain in just a few days and many people drowned as a result. Besides the horrific deaths in this storm, many people lost their homes because of the tremendous amount of rain Allison dumped in such a short period of time. This resulted in severe flash flooding, and those who did not have flood insurance were certainly taken off guard once the storm was over.

Flood Insurance Along The Coast

If you already live or are planning to live along the U.S. coastline, then home owner flood insurance should be a necessity. FEMA offers a National Flood Insurance Program that gives participating communities federal flood insurance who adhere to flood mitigation policies outlined by FEMA. By using a FEMA flood insurance rate map to determine insurance costs for a given area, this national flood insurance policy is critical for coastal residents living in Florida and other states that have a higher than average frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes. In fact, most Florida flood insurance falls under the National Flood Insurance Program with 95% of the communities participating in this voluntary service. Over 80% of Florida’s 18 million plus residents reside along the coastline, making FEMA flood insurance a basic necessity to living. Other coastal cities are now following suit by joining the National Flood Insurance Program to protect their lives and property.

Exceptions In Coastal Areas

Some areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts may not be eligible for the federal flood insurance national program. Areas, such as the outer banks of North Carolina and a few select spots in Florida’s Panhandle may be left out in the cold when it comes to federal flood insurance. The U.S. government passed the Coastal Barrier Resources Act in order to preserve wildlife in sensitive areas along the coast. People can still build in these areas, but the government does not provide flood insurance in order to deter construction in these fragile spots. If you are living or are planning to live in one of these designated areas, then be prepared to pay quite a bit more for flood insurance. It is always best to obtain a flood insurance quote from a provider so you will know how much you will be paying when you live in these areas. Cheap flood insurance will be hard to come by here, but there are providers out there who are willing to offer flood insurance in these sensitive ecological preserves.

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