Category: Flood Insurance

If you have home insurance and your house has never been flooded, you may hesitate to sign up for flood coverage. However, it’s essential to realize that flooding increasingly occurs in unexpected places. Flood insurance offers many valuable benefits and may even be required by your mortgage lender.

What It Covers

Regular home insurance doesn’t cover flooding unless an overflowing toilet or frozen pipes cause it. Only flood insurance can cover flooding from an external source, like heavy rain or an overflowing river. Flood insurance generally protects a home’s structure, built-in systems, and certain appliances. Some policies also cover personal belongings.

Flood Risks

Buildings near rivers and streams often face the most significant risk of flooding. For example, the Susquehanna River has been known to flood parts of Bloomsburg, PA. Although less common, lakes and ponds can also flood nearby homes. Flooding has become more widespread and severe in recent years.

Floods also happen in less obvious places, such as low-lying areas. Urban neighborhoods with paved streets and driveways may flood due to poor drainage. Official statistics show that flooding has occurred in 99 percent of U.S. counties during the last 28 years, including many places where few people expected it to happen.

Is It Required?

Lenders usually require mortgage borrowers to have flood insurance for any home in a Special Flood Hazard Area. A bank can still require this coverage if a house is located elsewhere. Lenders do so because it protects their investment in the loan and avoids the risk of a total loss if the home is severely flooded.

Pennsylvania homeowners in need of flood insurance can benefit from speaking to the experts at The Good Insurance Group LLC in Bloomsburg, PA. Our independent agency empowers customers to compare policies offered by more than 20 different insurers without calling multiple agents or filling out dozens of forms. To learn more or request quotes today, please call 570-213-3367.

How Do You Know if Your Home is at Risk of Flooding?

A sump pump is not enough protection if the water table and flood water rise in your area. That’s why FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, administers the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). They also provide extensive maps and information about local area flood risks. Pennsylvania has released online tools to determine your estimated flood risk, so you can dig in and discover how important flood insurance might be to people in your area.

Obtaining Flood Insurance is Convenient

At The Good Insurance Group LLC in Bloomsburg, PA, as with most insurance agencies like ours, we provide flood insurance along with all our other coverages, making purchasing convenient. We’ll also be glad to discuss why it might be vital for you personally and share our knowledge about our local area and its risks. Ultimately, the decision is yours since flood insurance is not generally required. One important exception to that is when your mortgage lender requires flood insurance due to your property’s location in a FEMA-identified higher-risk area.

What Risks Do You Face From Floods in Pennsylvania?

FEMA estimates that only one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage. Coverage for floods is not typically included in homeowners’ policies, so you have to take action on it separately. Depending on your needs, you can select different types that cover buildings, their contents, or both. At The Good Insurance Group LLC in Bloomsburg, PA, we can help you think about what you need to cover and any other insurance that could help you ride out the storm of a severe or mild flooding event.

Even if you do not live in a flood zone, it does not mean that your home is immune from potential flooding. FEMA estimates that just one inch of water can cause $25,000 in damage. While it is easy to assume that your homeowner’s insurance policy will cover flood damage, the reality is that it is unlikely to do so. If you live in a high or medium-risk flood area, your mortgage lender is likely to require that you have flood insurance. However, if you do not have a mortgage, you should still purchase flood coverage because flooding can happen anytime, from melting snow to construction in your neighborhood to burst pipes. 

It is easy to mistake that low-risk flood zones signify no-risk flood areas. However, because flood maps change over time with factors like climate change or local infrastructure changes leading to new or different flood areas, flood insurance provides extra peace of mind. If you live in a flood zone, head over to FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center to find out more information. 

There are two types of flood insurance offered, one through the National Flood Insurance Program and the other through private insurers. Purchasing flood insurance through a private provider offers several advantages, including:

• Higher Coverage
• Shorter Wait For Effective Date
• Backed by the State

Contact The Good Insurance Group LLC in Bloomsburg, PA for more information on flood insurance. Our friendly and professional team is industry-trained and highly knowledgeable on all types of insurance policies. Give us a call today to schedule a no-obligation consultation with a member of our team. 

The Good Insurance Group LLC offers insurance coverage to Bloomsburg, PA residents. We strive to ensure that our clients find the right policies for their individual needs. We use our status as an independent insurance agency to offer personalized coverage. We work with multiple carriers across the country.

Flood Insurance Guide

Flood insurance is something that you should definitely consider. As a Bloomsburg, PA resident, you are aware that the area is prone to severe weather. Heavy rainfall impacts the Susquehanna River and the local fishing creek. The result is often elevated water levels that cause property damage. Flood insurance covers your property if the heavy rains and melting snow damage it in the winter.

Flood insurance also covers your possessions. You are covered if your personal items inside your home are damaged due to severe flooding. Remember that you may need to inquire about extra coverage if you have luxury items inside your property. That is the only way to cover those items fully.

Flood insurance coverage also protects you if your property has to be repaired due to flood damage. You can add temporary housing coverage to assist you as you find another place to stay while your property is repaired.

Make sure that you read the terms of your flood insurance policy carefully. The cause of the damage is important. If your property is damaged due to a plumbing issue, you are not covered under your flood insurance policy. Flood insurance policies contain detailed language that lists flooding as excess water on dry land. Also, keep in mind that there will be a grace period before your flood insurance coverage starts. Avoid waiting until a storm is moving into the area to start looking for coverage.  

The Good Insurance Group LLC Will Help You Find Coverage

Visit our website to learn more information about flood insurance.