Hurricane Season IS Flood Season
June marked the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season in the United States, which as you know, raises the flood risks for homeowners living not only along coastal areas, but inland as well. Eight of the top ten most expensive federally declared disasters have been caused by hurricanes, which bring heavy rains that can cause widespread flooding. It is critical that you reach out to your customers now to communicate their increased flood risk during hurricane season – especially considering that once a flood insurance policy is purchased, there is typically a 30-day waiting period before it becomes effective. Remind them that a standard homeowners insurance policy does NOT cover flood damage and encourage them to protect themselves with flood insurance.
They Can’t Afford to Wait
Past seasons have shown that storms can form as early as the beginning of June, which can bring severe weather to the Gulf and Southern coasts, the Eastern Seaboard, as well as far inland.  While storm surge caused by hurricanes and tropical storms can wreak havoc on coastal areas, hurricanes and tropical storms moving inland can bring torrential rains and high winds that intensify the risk of flooding for residents living hundreds of miles from the coast.
 
Summer thunderstorms that occur throughout hurricane season can also bring several inches of rain in a short period of time. These intense storms and heavy rains can cause severe flash flooding in a matter of hours, damaging local homes, roads, and structures. Even residents and business owners living in states that are not prone to hurricanes should be aware of summer flooding risks and offered flood insurance.

Protect Your Customers
Without flood insurance, property owners may have to absorb the financial losses caused from flooding on their own, potentially wiping out their savings. Just inches of water can cause thousands of dollars of damage to their home, and repair and clean-up after a flood is time consuming, difficult and expensive – many households can’t afford to NOT buy flood insurance, given the financial consequences floods can cause. Flood insurance can ultimately help save money and ease recovery.
 
Let your customers know that flood insurance is more affordable than they may think. The average flood insurance policy is around $540 a year and for homes in moderate-to-low risk areas, Preferred Risk Policies start as low as $119 a year.

Encourage your customers to visit www.floodsmart.gov/hurricane to learn more about the risks specific to their community during hurricane season and how they can protect their homes and assets with flood insurance. 

(This article came directly from Floodsmart.gov and its intended audience is the Agent.  This is still good information for the consumer and others.)

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