Floods are unpredictable and can be incredibly detrimental to our communities. Flood insurance can help ensure that you, your family, and your most valuable possessions are protected if a flood occurs in your area.
What Is Flood Insurance?
Flood insurance helps protect a variety of aspects of your home and your possessions in the event of an external flood event which is excluded from your homeowners insurance policy.
Flood insurance typically covers the following:
- Electrical and plumbing systems
- Home repairs
- Furnaces and water heaters
- Refrigerators, cooking stoves, and built-in appliances like dishwashers
- Permanently installed carpeting and flooring
- Permanently installed cabinets, paneling, and bookcases
- Window blinds
- Foundation walls, anchorage systems, and staircases
- Detached garages
- Fuel tanks, well water tanks and pumps, and solar energy equipment
When trying to determine the details of a flood insurance policy, the cause of the flooding is an important detail.
Flood insurance covers losses directly caused by an external flooding event. Put simply, a flood is an excess of water on land that is normally dry, affecting two or more acres of land or two or more properties.
Tsunami Coverage Through Flood Insurance
There has been an increased frequency in underwater seismic activity as of late, making tsunamis a much more real possibility for many people across the world. Tsunamis can have absolutely devastating effects on communities.
Make sure you are covered by speaking to an agent about a personally designed flood insurance policy that includes coverage for tsunamis.
How Much Does Flood Insurance Cost?
The cost of a flood insurance policy depends on factors such as:
- The value of your home and belongings
- Flood zone or distance to a body of water
- The total amount of coverage you want to purchase
What Flood Insurance Does Not Cover
It is just as important to understand what’s not covered by flood insurance. Here are a few examples of the types of property and expenses that fall outside the scope of a basic flood insurance policy:
- Moisture or mold/mildew damage that “could have been avoided by the homeowner”
- Currency, precious metals, and paper valuables such as stock certificates
- Outdoor property such as decks, fences, patios, landscaping, wells, septic systems, and hot tubs and pools
- Living expenses, like temporary housing (if flood damage deems your home uninhabitable).
- Cars and other self-propelled vehicles (but your auto insurance may offer some protection for your car if you have comprehensive coverage).
You should also remember that a flood isn’t the only potential source of water damage to a home. In addition to understanding the potential benefits of flood insurance, you should also review the coverages offered by your homeowners insurance policy.
Get Flood Insurance Coverage From Atlas
Speaking to a member of our team can help you to understand the details of your coverage so that you are not caught off guard in the event that a flood strikes. For more information about acquiring a flood insurance policy for your family in Hawaii, give us a call at (808) 400-6680 or request a quote online today!