The last thing that you want to be worrying about in the aftermath of a storm is….. flood insurance, or rather any personal insurance, if you have it and if you have enough. However, flooding is becoming increasingly common, leading many Galveston County homeowners to seek help and support. The absolute best thing that you can do for your home’s protection, and your own stress levels during a storm, is to have protection – yes that includes flood insurance.
Floods are closer to home than you think
Throughout the years, many Galveston County homeowners felt that there was no need for flood insurance when not living in high-risk flood zones. However, climate change and erratic weather patterns have changed that drastically. Updated maps of the area show that many areas in the County are impacted directly now by possible flooding.
Why Galveston County homeowners need flood insurance
As the years pass, the flooding potential within the area could likely continue to increase. So, too, will the cost of insurance and with the economy, the cost of repairs after even a small amount of damage to your home. If you don’t have flood insurance, you’re putting yourself (your liability) increasingly at risk for losses and damage that will not be covered by your flood insurance policy.
Flooding is considered to be the leading natural disaster in the United States, especially in the local area. Even if your home is marked as being in a low risk flood zone on the new and updated map, it’s still very possible that it might be an issue.
Flooding gets worse each year, and the newest map releases, while accurate, don’t guarantee that your home in a low flood zone won’t get flooded. Ask any homeowner from Hurricane Harvey in their low risk flood plain area.
It’s much better to have a flood insurance policy in place just to ensure that your home, its repairs, and your budget are protected should the worst-case scenario hit. After all, even the best preparation on your part for your home can’t stop flooding from happening.
A bit of coverage goes a long way
All things considered, adding flood insurance to your personal insurance policy isn’t going to cost much if you compare a that to a total loss and what that will cost. Sure, insurance that you don’t think you need will add more protection, but with that comes cost, but also peace of mind. So, the cost of even a small amount of flood insurance is going to be much, much lower than the amount that you’ll have to pay completely out of pocket to replace all of your things and repair your home, if you didn’t have it.
The other facet is that many mortgage holding companies require homes in the flood zone — even those in the low flood zone — in Galveston County to have flood insurance added to their policy. When we say this, what we mean is, add this to the current coverage you have on your home and things. Flood insurance and homeowners insurance are in fact two separate policies. Your local insurance agent can go over these things with you as well remind you that buying flood insurance today doesn’t cover you for that storm tomorrow, there is a 30 day waiting period so be sure you are covered well before the storm!
Lastly, insurance premiums are rising each year. Getting flood insurance added now, as soon as possible, can help you to keep your premiums as low as possible while giving you the required or recommended protection from flooding. Check out these storm prep tips to help get you ready for Hurricane season.
If you want to protect your home and give yourself the peace of mind that you want and deserve, give your League City Insurance agent, Paula Smith, a call today at (281) 488-8880 and ask her what you should know about flood insurance and how it could impact your home and property. Since local agents know best, that will add to your peace of mind, too!