It’s National Preparedness Month and the first thing you can do to better protect yourself and your home is to purchase flood insurance. Although you may live in an area that’s not near the ocean or that doesn’t flood regularly, you still need to consider flood insurance to protect your home and your valuables.
Everyone is at risk for flooding; even if you live up high on a hill or in the middle of the desert. Flooding can occur without a moment’s notice and most homeowners insurance policies don’t protect against flood damage. The average National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim last year was more than $35,000. Without the proper insurance policy in place, that could be $35,000 coming out of your own pocket. You may not think it could happen to you, but is that a risk you’re willing to take?
Luckily with the NFIP, you can protect your home and belongings with a flood insurance policy. Most communities participate in the NFIP so no matter where you live, protection is just one step away. You can buy coverage for just your buildings (floors, walls, equipment and fixtures), for your contents (furniture, appliances, wall and floor coverings, clothing, audio equipment, and TVs), or both.
How do you know if you’re in a high-risk flood area? You can check flood maps to determine what area you’re in or you can give Cliff Cottam Insurance Services a call at 916-488-4426 and one of our agents will explain your risk and how to better protect yourself in case of a flood. Just because you’re not in a high risk area doesn’t mean you’re safe from flood damage; more than 20% of flood insurance claims come from people outside of mapped high-risk flood areas and flood is the number one natural disaster in the U.S.
Don’t wait until water is at your door to buy a flood insurance policy. Just a couple inches of water can add up to thousands of dollars in damage. There is a 30-day waiting period after you buy the policy for coverage to begin so call Cliff Cottam Insurance Services now at 916-488-4426.
