Does Your Home Face a High Risk of Flooding?

3/22/2021 (Permalink)

Flood damage in a Fountain Valley, CA home

Flooding is an event that many homeowners face. Most homes in Fountain Valley, CA, whether they are in a low or high-risk flood zone, are more likely to experience flooding than fire. Whether you are purchasing a new home or have lived in your current one for a while, you must know if you live in a high-risk flood zone. You must also understand that while most home insurance policies do not cover damage from flooding or storm restoration services, you may be able to purchase flood insurance. If you are in a high-risk zone that participates in the FEMA NFIP, flood insurance may even be required. Therefore, you need to know your home's flood risk and steps you can take to protect yourself.

What Determines a Home’s Risk of Flooding?

The first step to understanding how your home's flood risk is calculated, you want to look at the area's flood maps. These shows important data including:

• Flood zones
  
• Flood plain boundaries
  
• Base flood elevation
  
  

All of these elements factor into a home's flood risk. These maps can often be found online, at your local government offices, courthouse, or library. You may also want to ask your local government officials if a flood risk project is underway. These projects are designed to identify high-risk areas and lower their chances of flooding. This may also be the perfect time to ask if your community participates in the FEMA NFIP and if you are required to have flood insurance.

Will You Be Told if You Move Into a High-Risk Home?
It is a good idea to conduct this research if you are moving into a new home because not all states require a seller to disclose a property's flood risk. Because of this, it is better if you research your flood risk and if your community participates in the FEMA NFIP.
By doing some research about the area where your home is, you can better understand what determine's your property's flood risk. This can give you an advantage when you are trying to protect yourself from flooding damage.