The sheer number of recent incidences of flooding from hurricanes,
powerful rain storms and swelling rivers is making many individuals
reconsider their need for flood insurance. It used to be that flood
plains were good indications of where flooding would be likely, but
changing weather patterns and development in new areas have changed the
likelihood of flooding in certain areas.
Your Property Has Flooded Before
The biggest indicator of your flood risk is your past history. Has your property flooded or come close to flooding before? If your neighborhood streets flood into your yard with every heavy rain, your property is at risk of flooding in a fast deluge that brings more rain than is typical in a normal thunderstorm. If you have had water in your home before, through rising water in a local water area or through rain and drainage, you are at serious risk of experiencing another flood and should absolutely get flood insurance.
Your Neighborhood Is under Construction
With ongoing construction in certain areas, there are every changing avenues and pathways for water to run. In some neighborhoods, parts of streets flood and others don’t meaning the roads aren’t level. There is a chance that your house can take on water as typical run-off from rain floods your yard or comes under the door.
The Area around You Is Building
The buildings and streets in your neighborhood are not the only consideration for changing water ways. If your neighborhood is surrounded by new construction, your home might become one of the lowest around. This is particularly true of neighborhoods that backed up to a swampy or low area that has now been filled in to provide a foundation or parking lot for new development. Without that swampy area to contain water, the water might become trapped and begin to rise in unexpected areas such as yards and streets.
Your Street is Not Maintained
Storm sewers are designed to hold rainwater as it runs off giving it somewhere to go rather than rising in the streets. If your neighborhood or city is failing to maintain the streets and sewers in your area, they will easily become clogged with debris and trash and when it comes time to allow water to run off, the water will be blocked by the congestion and back up in the streets. This is a common complaint in rainstorms following large events such as hurricanes and tornados that throw great amounts of debris into the streets and sewers that services might not be able to clear immediately.
You'll Ease Your Mind
There seems to be a risk of rising or running water in your home in virtually any location. Even mountain homes can become damaged by water rising in streambeds or running down the hills through the home. Flood insurance is typically not expensive outside of traditional flood plains, making it an affordable option for anyone concerned about the possibility of flooding now or in the future.
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