That’s why experts say all Floridians need flood insurance
As flooding in Fort Lauderdale begins to recede, insurance agents and Federal Emergency Management Agency executives say now is a good time for people in our area to consider purchasing flood insurance if they don’t already have it. “The easiest thing to remember is that you don’t necessarily need to look at a flood map, just look at your address. If your address says ‘Florida,’ you need flood insurance,” said John Mills, a FEMA spokesman. Mills says flood insurance is necessary for some homeowners who live in a flood zone, but he says even if you live somewhere it’s not necessary, flood insurance is the safest bet. Click here to find out if you live in a flood zone “In Florida, you either live in or near a high risk flood zone. Water does not follow map lines. So when you get seven inches of rain, 1st 0 inches of rain, 20 inches of rain or more in one place in a short period of time, chances are that place is going to flood. That’s why it’s important to have flood insurance,” Mills said. It also reminds all Floridians that unless the federal government declares a major disaster, people with flood damage cannot apply for flood damage assistance through FEMA. There is no federal disaster declaration in Fort Lauderdale. And on Friday, the director of Florida’s Department of Emergency Management said that probably won’t happen. The owner of Jerger Insurance and Financial Service in Fort Pierce, Gregory Jerger, also stresses the need for flood insurance. “Forty to 50 percent of homes that flood flood outside of your flood zones,” Jerger said. “What we have in the state of Florida, as you see in Fort Lauderdale, is you have floods and sometimes people are left without flood insurance and then when they find out they have a flood, they don’t have coverage for it.” What we’re seeing today is that we have floods that are outside of flood zones, so a lot of people get floods that are not in a flood zone, so if you don’t have that flood insurance policy, then you don’t have the coverage,” Jerger said. Experts say a typical Florida flood insurance policy can cost about $340 a year. Typical policies typically cover about $250,000 in structural damage and about $100,000 in damage to personal property inside One of Florida’s leading homeowner’s insurance providers, Citizens Property Insurance, will require all customers to carry flood insurance until 2027. This is due to Senate Bill 2-A, passed during a special session and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
As flooding in Fort Lauderdale begins to recede, insurance agents and Federal Emergency Management Agency executives say now is a good time for people in our area to consider purchasing flood insurance if they don’t already have it.
“The easiest thing to remember is that you don’t necessarily need to look at a flood map, just look at your address. If your address says ‘Florida,’ you need flood insurance,” said John Mills, a FEMA spokesman.
Mills says flood insurance is necessary for some homeowners who live in a flood zone, but he says even if you live somewhere it’s not required, flood insurance is the safest bet.
Click here to find out if you live in a flood zone.
“In Florida, you either live in or near a high flood risk area. Water does not follow map lines. So when you get seven inches of rain, the first 0 inches of rain, 20 inches of rain or more in one place in a short period of time has a chance of flooding in that place. That’s why it’s important to have flood insurance,” Mills said.
It also reminds all Floridians that unless the federal government declares a major disaster, people with flood damage cannot apply for flood damage assistance through FEMA.
There is no federal disaster declaration in Fort Lauderdale. And on Friday, the director of Florida’s Department of Emergency Management said that probably won’t happen.
The owner of Jerger Insurance and Financial Service in Fort Pierce, Gregory Jerger, also stresses the need for flood insurance.
“Forty to 50 percent of homes that flood flood outside of your flood zones,” Jerger said. “What we have in the state of Florida, as you see in Fort Lauderdale, is you have floods and sometimes people are left without flood insurance and then when they find out they have a flood, they don’t have coverage for it.
“What we’re seeing today is that we have floods that are outside of flood zones, so a lot of people are getting floods that are not in a flood zone, so if you don’t have that flood insurance policy, then you don’t have the coverage.” Jerger said.
Experts say a typical Florida flood insurance policy can cost about $340 a year. Typical policies typically cover about $250,000 for structural damage and about $100,000 for damage to personal property in the home.
One of Florida’s leading homeowner insurance providers, Citizens Property Insurance, will require all customers to take out flood insurance by 2027. That’s thanks to Senate Bill 2-A passed during a special session and signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.