Types Of Properties That Need Flood Insurance

Flood insurance offers protection from a variety of abnormal water patterns, and there are many types of properties that can benefit from the coverage as a result. If you have any of the following kinds of properties, you may want to protect it with flood insurance.

Homes in Flood Planes

The most obvious risk that flood insurance protects against is a standard flood in which water levels rise above normal. While this can theoretically happen in many places, homes in flood planes are at an especially high risk of being damaged by a traditional flood. These planes are known areas where excess water will flow when a flood occurs.

If you don't know whether your home is located in a flood plane, an insurance agent who's familiar with flood insurance can help you find out. The federal government publishes maps that show where flood planes are, and an insurance agent can help you check whether your home is located in a flood plane according to the map of your local area.

Summer Cottages on Large Bodies of Water

Flood insurance can also insure a property against damage that an unusually large wave can cause. The damage that a wave causes can include harm to a building's actual structure, or destruction to the land on the property or secondary structures. For example, a major wave could cause erosion if there's not a sufficient barrier along the shore.

If you have a summer cottage that's located on a major body of water, you might want flood insurance to protect against this specific risk. Waves on small lakes usually don't get large enough to cause major damage, but the Great Lakes and the ocean can produce waves that cause substantial damage. Flood insurance can help protect cottages along these bodies of water.

Cabins on Mountain Slopes

Some flood insurance policies also offer coverage for mudflows and mudslides, since these natural disasters are caused by excess water in the ground. Coverage for these types of incidents isn't as common as protection against traditional floods is, but an insurance agent can help you find a flood policy that does cover mudflows and mudslides if you need the protection.

This can be a helpful protection if you own a cabin that's on a mountain slope. Depending on how rocky and steep the slope is, your cabin might be at risk of significant damage during a rainstorm that leads to a mudflow or mudslide.

Share