You, the Environment & Flood Insurance

2016-08-08
By: Denise Koslowsky

Recent summer storms have showered a deluge of rain across our area.  We’ve seen flooding in New Jersey and I would guess that few of us were surprised.  The prevailing feeling still exists, flooding happens in coastal areas…not here.

The truth is this:  floods can happen anywhere.

Now add to that truth with the fact that our weather has been anything but typical and it turns out, there is reason for concern.

We’ve talked the importance of preparing for hurricane season; June 1^st through November 30^th.  Read blog here.

Roz Binday has warned us about the fact that climate change has made 100 Year Storms happen more frequently than every 100 years.  Read blog here.

Now a recent article from Bloomburg is warning us about Rain Bombs.  You read that right, Rain Bombs!  You can read the full article here but the basic idea boils down to: the national rainfall average is higher than normal, storms are less frequent but more intense and the studies are linking these stronger rain storms to our higher consumption of CO2.

The true bottom line for us here at Advocate is this:  A few inches of water can create thousands of dollars in damage. 

The risk isn’t worth it, it makes sense to protect your home and possessions. So the best advice we can give is to Be Prepared!

Advocate wants all homeowners to know:

• Some homeowner policies offer limited coverage for water damage but they do not offer protection from flooding. Flooding is typically a standard exclusion on all home insurance policies.
• The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is available to almost everyone.
• Act before there is a warning of flooding on the horizon.  NFIP has a 30-day waiting period from the time submitted before the policy goes into effect.
• We partner with a handful of high end carriers that offer their own specialized flood products for existing insurance clients at very favorable prices. However, this is based on the flood zone and is not available to everyone.

Be Safe!  You don’t want to find out too late that your coverage is lacking.  If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call.  We are here to make recommendations so you have peace of mind all year long.  Do it now, before it is too late.