As we round out 2019 and head towards the early part of 2020, we know the seasons are changing; it gets colder, and beyond a little of the chill we experience comes more turbulent weather. While most of the west coast – California and Nevada – don’t see a huge amount of rain, these states can be prone to more intense periods of rain over shorter times, causing flash floods. Just this summer, we saw the storm, Rosa, deliver flash floods to California, Nevada, and Arizona.
For people living in flash flood areas, communities like Las Vegas and the oceanfront, valley, and desert areas of Southern California, while there are always precautions to take around your home, there’s no real way to prepare for a flash flood.
After all, sandbags aren’t the most idyllic and picturesque elements to have on your front around your front door. When homeowners have enough time, they can prepare to a degree. Sometimes, damage is inevitable.
While an occurrence of flooding may be rare in your neighborhood, it takes just one flash flood, or a torrential downpour on your street to wreak havoc on your property. Flood damage can ruin more than floors and carpets; flooded conditions can destroy personal property like furniture and keepsakes low to the ground. If enough water comes in, and it isn’t removed swiftly and properly, you can experience rotten baseboard and drywall – or worse mold.
Because flooding is not on the minds of people as a consistent threat, like earthquakes, it often isn’t top of mind when people draw up or renew their homeowner’s insurance.
For many, homeowner’s insurance is something they had to have. Chances are, most people really haven’t evaluated their policies in years. Even when moving from one house to another, people will often call their agent, who will happily send them a new quote for the property without looking at changing conditions around the home.
Swarts, Manning, & Associates offers supplemental flooding insurance to its clients. But before we sell you on a price or a package, we want to assess if your home is in a high-risk area. Having flood insurance means that you’ll be reimbursed for all of your covered losses. If your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), you are eligible to purchase flood insurance.
For more information on flood insurance, including premium costs, levels of coverage, and the flood risk for your area, we’d like to share a resource with you. You can visit Floodsmart.gov – an official website of the U.S. government.
We also invite you to contact our team at Swarts, Manning & Associates, and we can discuss your needs or a program that might be right for your home.
