Flood Damage and Your Florida Homeowners Insurance Policy

When Florida residents start thinking about homeowners insurance, there are a lot of different terms and policy options that can be easily misunderstood. Many consumers don’t realize the full extent of what their policies do and don’t cover. This includes damage to their homes due to flooding.

And flooding can cause a lot of damage as many Florida residents know well.

If you assume an insurable incident like flooding is covered by your existing auto or homeowners insurance policy and it actually isn’t, you will be exposing yourself and your family to major financial risks.

Many consumers assume that flood insurance is automatically included in their Florida homeowners policy. This assumption can turn out to be an extremely expensive mistake after a flood actually occurs.

Many Florida homeowners think coverage for flooding is included in their homeowners insurance policy because many of the events that cause floods cause other damages that ARE covered under a homeowners insurance policy. For instance, a hurricane may cause wind damage to your home that is covered in your policy, but it may also cause normally dry land to be temporarily inundated by water, which could run into your house and damage your floors and furniture. Those are flood waters and they will only be covered if you have a flood policy.

In general, a policy does not take effect until 30 days after you purchase flood insurance. So, if the weather forecast announces a flood alert for your area and you go to purchase coverage, it’s already too late. You will not be insured if you buy a policy a few days before a flood.

Our experienced Florida agents can help you understand the basics about flood insurance, determine whether your home is in a flood zone of low-, moderate- or high-risk and obtain the best possible coverage for a competitive price. Call us at 561-637-2424 or fill out an online Florida flood insurance quote form and we’ll get in touch with you.