Flood Insurance - Do you have it????

I had looked into getting flood insurance since I have a brook in my backyard. The agency that issues flood insurance said that I am not eligible since I don't live in a flood plain. How this is determined, I have no idea, but I am certain that sometime in the past, that brook has overflowed it banks. What are others experience with flood insurance?????

I'm running late and have to get going.. Perhaps I can call later and explain to you what FEMA explained to me as a town selectman... You don't even come close to qualifying for flood insurance unless your home slides down that hill to the lower forty,,

Paul,

I have a cabin on Lake Pepin. I am in a flood plain so I can get insurance. When my cabin was financed through the bank I was forced to get it because I was in the flood plain. Now that I don't have a mortgage I don't have the insurance anymore. There is flood plain maps out there to determine if your in a flood plain or not. Call your county they should have the maps.

murph

I was under the impression anyone could buy flood insurance. Am I wrong?
If you live in a flood plain, mortgage companies normally require it.

When I built my house, I put in a basement with 9' high ceilings. Doing so, I apparently put the floor level of my basement (not a walk-out type) within 2' of a flood plain. Therefore, I had to get all sorts of certifications that my house wasn't in a flood plain or I was going to be forced to buy flood insurance! Since I live close (3 miles) to the Ohio River, our flood plain maps are crazy. They were drawn up nearly 100 years ago and some areas shown as being in the flood zone are over 40' above it now (but the home owners there are forced to buy flood ins.) and other areas are now well into the flood elevation but don't have to buy flood ins. because their area is shown on the old maps as not being flood prone. (These areas are mostly mobile home parks that are built in an area where dirt has been taken for decades to fill other areas. During recent rain storms, some of these areas had over 5' of water in their trailers!)

I think the recent events will force a little more attention to updating flood maps and making proper adjustments.

Flood plain maps change alot. When I lived in Baton Rouge I bought a house in a area were the flood plain map had recently changed. I was required to get flood insurance by the mortgage company. None of my neighbors had flood insurance because they bought under the old map. The mortgager requires the insurance. If there is no mortgager involved in the flood plain property it's your call!

My experience is flood insurance has to be offered to flood plain properties and they will only insure flood plain properties.

Big Dog said:

My experience is flood insurance has to be offered to flood play properties and they will only insure flood plane properties.

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If I lived on top of a mountain and asked for flood insurance, wouldn't the insurance company (giggle) then take my money anyway and write up the policy?

Nope! They hate flood insurance and don't like being made to offer it but they have to. From what I've experienced it has to be a flood plain property!

So, if you're not in a flood plane, therefore cannot get flood insurance, but a Hurricane comes along and floods you out, you're just S.O.L.??

That's a crock of poop.

bczoom said:

If I lived on top of a mountain and asked for flood insurance, wouldn't the insurance company (giggle) then take my money anyway and write up the policy?

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Absolutely not, if your not in a flood plain they legally can not give you the insurance. My dad's basement one time flooded during a large storm one time. All the storm sewers backed up and his basement filled up. Insurance would not cover it and dad asked about flood insurance for the future and they said they could not sell it to him.

murph

thcri said:

Absolutely not, if your not in a flood plain they legally can not give you the insurance. My dad's basement one time flooded during a large storm one time. All the storm sewers backed up and his basement filled up. Insurance would not cover it and dad asked about flood insurance for the future and they said they could not sell it to him.

murph

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But you now can get sewer backup insurance, I know I got it.........