Everything you wanted to know about Floods –But Were Afraid to Ask
 

During this rainy season - and with Hurricane Season just around the corner again, this would be a good time to consider floods and their effects on all of us reading this post. Floods affect everyone – not just those of us who live along the San Bernard River.

In plain English, a flood is an excess of water (or mud) on land that is normally dry. Floods often happen when bodies of water overflow or tides rise due to heavy rainfall. Flash floods can strike anywhere without warning when a large volume of rain falls within a short period of time.

As more and more buildings, roads and parking lots are built where forests and prairies used to be, the land loses its natural ability to absorb water. This fact, coupled with changing weather patterns has made floods more severe.

Consider the following flood facts taken from www.floodsmart.gov

- Floods and flash floods happen in all 50 states.
- EVERYONE lives in a flood zone.
- Hurricanes, winter storms and snow melt are common (but often overlooked) causes of flooding. New land development can increase flood risk, especially if the construction changes natural runoff paths.
- Just an inch of water can cause costly damage to your property.
- A car can easily be carried away by just 2 feet of flood water.
- Flash floods often bring walls of water 10 to 20 feet high.
- Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage.
- If you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area or high risk area, your mortgage lender requires you to have flood insurance.
- Federal disaster assistance is usually a loan that must be paid back with interest. For a $50,000.00 loan at 4% interest, your monthly payment would be around $240.00 a month ($2,880.00 a year) for 30 years. Compare that to a $100,000 flood insurance premium, which is about $500.00 a year ($33.00 a month).
- It takes 30 days after purchase for a policy to take effect, so it’s important to buy insurance before floodwaters start to rise


Previously posted April/2007