But we told you so, and told you so, and told… you get the idea.
Matthew is on target to become one of the costliest storms on record with hundreds of millions of dollars in claims filed, and on the Gulf Coast a visit from Hermine in September has FEMA looking at buyouts of homes and properties that bear severe repetitive losses rather than throw good money after bad. Palm Beach County is looking at a new flood map in 2017, and even without a storm, king tides are rising and breaking records – and deductibles. Finally, only 19 percent of Florida property owners have flood insurance, sure that they are never going to have to use it – so why pay? So, in all this, if you are questioning if you really need flood insurance, or if you can get by without it, here’s a reality check.
Without flood insurance, you are up the creek – sometimes in the most literal way imaginable – when it comes to repairing your home. It can’t be stated any more plainly or truthfully than that. None of your other policies will cover damage done by a flood, no matter how you twist and push, the square peg is not going in the round hole. Moreover, no ethical insurance agent will help you to commit the level of fraud that it would take. So don’t ask.
If you think that flood insurance is not worth the annual expense, then it would be advisable to sell your house. If you think that just because you are in an area of low flood risk that you can skip the cost of flood insurance, you should move. In both cases you are looking at thousands of dollars in repairs and replacements depending on how high the water has risen.
Let’s take a look at what flood insurance covers.
1. The building structure. This includes the entire building including doors and windows, the foundation, electrical systems, plumbing systems, built-in appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens and stoves, permanently installed carpeting and paneling, window blinds, wallboard, as well as built-in furniture such as bookcases and cabinets.
2. Personal property. This includes clothing, furnishings, electronics such as TV sets, curtains, portable appliances such as air-conditioners and microwaves, washers and dryers, loss of food in refrigerators and freezers, and other valuable items.
If you think that you can afford to fix, repair, and replace all of that should the floodwaters rise you need to think about the cost and what it could do to your future. It could deplete all of your savings, and still not cover the expense of rebuilding. If someone tells you that you’re safe just because you are not in a historic flood area, you need to think again. We’ve had a long break between hurricanes and many residents are new to Florida and have never experienced what these storms can bring. Talk to an insurance professional about flood insurance and what options you have.