Living miles from a coast could lead to a false sense of security when it comes to hurricanes and tropical storms. While coastlines are often featured in hurricane coverage, inland counties typically suffer the most damage from floods.
September 2024’s Hurricane Helene is a prime example. Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane posting 140-mph winds. Helene had already been downgraded to a tropical storm by the following morning, with maximum sustained winds of only 45 mph. Many assumed the worst of the storm was over as it tracked north/northeast.
However, flash-flood emergencies were declared in northern Georgia, eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, upstate South Carolina and southwestern Virginia. These areas are seldom associated with hurricanes. Rainfall totals topped 12 inches in multiple areas, and there were record flood crests across the region. As recovery efforts continued, over 200 deaths were recorded in less than two weeks. While the widespread inland destruction caused by Helene may be shocking, it’s not unique.
Consider Floyd County in eastern Kentucky, where a July 2022 flood killed 40 people, damaged over 300 homes and left more than 500 people homeless. It was the 13th time in 12 years that Floyd County had been declared a federal disaster area, and then it happened for the 14th time in 2023.
Nationwide, there have been catastrophic inland floods over the past several decades. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ranks flooding as the most common natural disaster in the United States. In 2023 alone, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund distributed more than $41 billion in aid.
Insure your home and your belongings
There are several important steps to take to prepare for inland flooding. These include securing flood insurance and creating a plan to protect your home if a flood emergency is declared.
Talk with your insurance professional about flood insurance. Your homeowners insurance doesn’t cover damage caused by flooding. With 99% of counties across the nation having been affected by flooding since 1996, your region could be affected. You don’t need to live near a body of water, either. Flooding in many locales occurs because of dam or levee failures or because municipal drainage systems can’t handle heavy rain. The result is streets filling up and homes flooding.
Federally backed flood insurance is available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). An NFIP policy covers physical losses to your house and contents that can be directly attributed to flooding. The NFIP defines flooding as “an excess of water on land that is normally dry, affecting two or more acres of land or two or more properties.”
Flood insurance is federally required for government-backed mortgages in high-risk flood zones. It may also be required by some lenders outside high-risk areas. You can check your own flood risk on the NFIP website. While you might be relieved to learn you’re not in a high-risk zone, remember that over 40% of claims paid by the NFIP fall outside these areas. So while flood insurance might not be mandatory for your property, it is still an available option if you want the added protection.
The key to flood insurance is understanding what triggers coverage. It isn’t just the presence of water. What matters is the cause of the flooding. Flood insurance doesn’t cover any of the following, even if the damage is triggered by the weather:
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Sewer backups
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Rain coming through an opening in your roof or a broken window
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Landslides, mudslides or debris flows
In addition, flood insurance does not extend to your vehicles. For your personal vehicles, you need comprehensive coverage as part of your auto insurance policy. Comprehensive auto insurance can cover damage caused by flooding. While it’s not required by law like liability coverage, it’s the only way to protect your car from losses due to flooding and other weather-related damage, such as hail. Comprehensive insurance typically covers your engine, electrical system and transmission, as well as mold, rust, corrosion and other cosmetic issues that might result from floodwaters.
Private flood insurance is an option
The NFIP’s maximum coverage for a single-family house is $250,000, and contents coverage is capped at $100,000. Because of these lower limits, some people with higher-value homes may wish to purchase extra or alternative coverage. That is possible to do on the private market, and your insurance agent can help you find a suitable policy.
Prepare now, before a flood
When there is no immediate danger, it’s easy to get complacent. But this is the best time to prep for a flood. For example, you need to complete a full household inventory. Include pictures and videos of your belongings to create a record of what you own and what it’s worth. Update your home inventory at least once a year.
Store important papers online when possible. Place physical copies in a watertight, portable container and keep it in a convenient location so you can quickly grab it and take it with you.
Once a flood has been declared for your area, follow the advice of the civil authority. If there’s no evacuation order and you have time, take actions to prevent water intrusion. Sandbags are a good temporary solution to prevent floodwater from seeping under doors and through crawl spaces. There are also barrier products activated by water. You can store them in ways that aren’t possible with sandbags. Residential floodgates offer even greater protection, although they are expensive. You can install them over hinged doors, sliding doors, garage doors and windows.
Whatever method you choose for protecting your property, don’t leave your future to chance. Keep abreast of the weather and all emergency alerts, and heed all mandates. With smart prevention measures and the right insurance, you should be able to recover from a flood.
