What Is Excluded in a Flood Insurance Policy?
Flood insurance is an important consideration for homeowners, as it can provide financial protection from the costly damage of flooding. But it’s necessary to understand what is and isn’t covered by a flood insurance policy to ensure you’re adequately protected. With this in mind, let’s look at what is excluded from most flood insurance policies.
When Do You Need a Flood Insurance Policy?
A flood insurance policy is recommended for the many homeowners across the United States at risk of experiencing any of the impacts of a “flood” – technically defined as the partial or complete inundation with water of either two or more acres of land or two or more properties on dry land. Floods can be caused by a variety of factors, including tides that rise too high, inland waterways that overflow, snow melt, rapid accumulation of surface water or runoff, extreme downpours, or major movements of mud.
With the climate and weather rapidly changing, the ‘hows’ and ‘wheres’ are often evolving with regard to flooding danger. FEMA generates flood maps that show the areas at most risk for floods, and these maps are relied upon by everyone from local governments to mortgage lenders for homes. The maps can be found on FEMA’s website and will help you determine if it’s advisable to take out a flood insurance policy for your home (which FEMA also offers through the National Flood Insurance Program).
What Does Flood Insurance Cover?
A typical flood insurance policy has a good number of coverages as well as flood insurance exclusions.
- The first area of coverage can be broadly called the structural aspects of the home, meaning items like the foundation, walls, cabinets, and fixtures.
- Another area of coverage is “essential” home items, and these are the utilities, including electrical systems, plumbing pipes, fuel tanks, furnaces, boilers, and climate control systems, to name a few of the types of items that a home and its occupants cannot live without.
- Appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, washers, dryers, and televisions are also usually covered, as well as detached structures like garages or sheds, typical victims of floods due to their less sturdy design.
If you need an experienced lawyer for flood damage, contact MMA Law Firm today.
Flood Insurance Exclusions
For flood insurance exclusions, it’s important to understand that certain types of property and causes may be excluded. For example, excluded property may include exterior property like landscaping, decks, fences, and pools. In addition, automobiles are generally excluded from flood coverage, as are cash, collectibles, and heirlooms.
Flood coverage does not apply to damage from sewer backups, earth movement, mildew or mold damage (except for some instances where it can be linked to a flood event), and damage from a flood that originates from inside of the home, such as a burst kitchen sink pipe or overfilled bathtub.
What You Should Know about Flood Claims
The most important things to know about flood claims are that coverages exist through either homeowner plans or supplemental plans, as well as through FEMA. However, private policies are becoming increasingly popular over government options due to offering higher limits, potential relocation coverage, and fewer flood insurance exclusions.
Call a Trusted Houston Water Damage Claim Lawyer
As professionals who help clients interpret insurance policies, understand their rights, and recover on their losses every day, the Houston insurance lawyers at MMA Law Firm are well positioned to assist clients with flood insurance claims.
Contact us today so that we can help you.
This blog published by MMA Law Firm is available for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice on any subject matter. The content available on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information.