Life’s Extras · Flood
Flood insurance, explained.
Usually not in your home policy. In Florida, that matters.
What it covers
Water from above, such as a burst pipe or rain through a damaged roof, is usually a home-insurance claim. Water from below, meaning rising water from outside, is flood, and it is usually a separate policy. In Florida that line is the one that matters most.
The building
The structure and its systems: foundation, electrical and plumbing, water heater, built-in appliances, permanently installed flooring and cabinets.
Contents
Your belongings, usually chosen as a separate amount from the building coverage. Basements and rooms below ground level are treated differently by most policies.
Where it comes from
Flood policies are written through the federal program or by private insurers, and the two can differ in what they cover and how claims are paid.
The waiting period
Most flood policies do not start on the day you buy them. Most have a waiting period before they start, and the length varies by insurer [confirm], so buying before the season is the point.
One good first question
“If water came in from outside during a storm, which of my policies would answer, if any?”
Bring this one to Elona and the rest of the conversation gets easier.
What Elona looks at
- Where the property sits: flood zone, elevation and distance to water. The zone decides whether a lender requires coverage; it is not the whole story on its own. [Elona to confirm what drives a flood rate today, federal and private.]
- Whether a lender requires it, and what that requirement covers.
- Building coverage against what it would cost to repair, and a realistic contents amount.
- Federal versus private options for your address, and what each would and would not pay for.
Sixty-second answers
Often quoted together
Talk to Elona
Ask Elona about flood insurance.
A real person answers. Tell her what you have and what you are worried about, and she will tell you what fits.