During last spring’s heavy rains, people who had never had to deal with basement flooding before suddenly found themselves dealing with floor water damage including wet carpet, soaked walls, and damaged belongings in their basements. For the vast majority of homeowners we worked with, this damage wasn’t covered by insurance and they had to pay for the repairs out-of-pocket.
Homeowners are often surprised to find that water damage due to flooding isn’t covered by a standard homeowners insurance. This includes water seeping into your basement through the foundation during periods of heavy rain. Instead, flood insurance is provided through the federal government. Most local insurance agents can assist you in obtaining the coverage.
Before spring hits, it’s a good idea to check out floodsmart.gov, the governments flood insurance website designed to help consumers make the best decisions for their specific situations. This site will answer most of your questions regarding flood coverage and give you a jump start on determining if flood coverage is right for you.