With Hurricane Season Approaching, Now’s the Time to Purchase Flood Insurance

Hurricane season 2022 officially begins on June 1, and it’s expected to be a busy one.

With climate change and sea level rise intensifying tropical storm and hurricane rains and storm surge, now is the time for real estate owners in coastal communities and well inland to consider purchasing flood insurance — if they haven’t already. This is especially important because standard homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover flooding.

Property owners who plan to wait until a storm is aimed at their region to purchase flood insurance are making a big mistake. New policies under FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program take 30 days to take effect.

Property owners who purchase properties using government-backed mortgages are required to purchase flood insurance policies. Many owners who purchased their homes using cash self-insure their properties. Some owners who are self-insured are under the mis-impression that because they’re located outside of designated flood zones that they shouldn’t be concerned about flooding. This can be a costly mistake. Estimates are that 25% of flood damage occurs in low-risk flood zones. An extreme example of this hazard is the fact that more than half of the homes that flooded in Houston, TX, during Hurricane Harvey were located outside designated flood zones.

Flood insurance policies cost on-average $700 a year, though FEMA has started to place a heavier premium burden on properties built in higher risk areas. The policies cover up to a quarter million dollars in damage. Buyers should also be aware that a seller’s flood insurance policy can be transferred to them at closing often at a significant savings.

Flood insurance is clearly worth purchasing. According to FEMA’s Flood Damage Cost Estimator, one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage and one-foot up to $72,000. As building materials and labor have become much more expensive in most regions of the country, these estimates are most likely on the conservative side.

Owners and buyers of real estate at risk of flooding can get more information about National Flood Insurance Program policies from the National Flood Insurance Program website.