If you think you don’t need flood insurance because you don’t live in a high flood area, think again. Twenty five percent of people who file National Flood Insurance Program claims are outside areas deemed likely to flood.
In light of this week being National Flood Safety Awareness Week, Samuel Seeley, Lyon County zoning administrator and flood plain manager, spoke about flooding myths and facts and Lyon County’s participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.
Seeley said his jurisdiction is outside the metro areas of Lyon County.
“For those areas, we are part of the National Flood Insurance Program which also gives us gates to the Community Rating System, otherwise known as the CIS program,” Seeley said.
The CIS program allows Lyon County to earn points in the system to acquire discounts for residents in Seeley’s jurisdiction. The community rating system is based on several factors including outreach activities and documentation. Right now, Lyon County residents in rural and unincorporated areas get a 5 percent discount on their flood insurance and Seeley said he is working on getting the county to the next discount, which is 10 percent.
Seeley said when shopping for flood insurance, potential policy holders should compare policies because quotes are not supposed to vary from company to company on the same property. Seeley also said to make sure the insurance agent knows about the county’s discount.
There are many myths about flood insurance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. One myth is that people can’t buy flood insurance if they live in a high-risk flooding area. The fact is that if the county participates in the insurance program, county residents can purchase insurance no matter where they live. Lyon County does participate.
Another myth is that it’s too late to buy flood insurance when it’s already flooding. The fact is that flood insurance can be purchased anytime, however, there is a 30-day waiting period after the first premium payment.
Another popular myth is that if a home is flooded, federal disaster assistance will pay for damages. This is not true. Assistance usually comes in low-interest loans and may only be available to people in disaster areas designated by the president.
Seeley cautioned against another flooding concern — basements. He said even minor flooding in homes of just a couple of feet can cause thousands of dollars of damage because of mildew and other problems. A release from FEMA stated that most homeowner insurance does not cover flood damage, however, if a resident has flood insurance, items in a basement would be covered from flood. It’s important to know what the policy does and does not cover. Some items are covered under a basic flood insurance policy and other items will require an additional NFIP policy.
“When you get your policy, make sure you know what it covers and where it covers,” Seeley added.
OTHER RESOURCES:
www.floodsmart.gov/noaafloodweek