PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Flooding is unpredictable. While it’s more common in coastal areas and near rivers, wildfire burn scars are also at higher risk. Now, FEMA is reminding homeowners they may need flood insurance, even if they’ve never had to purchase it before.
“Even small amounts of rainfall in that burn scar area after a wildfire, even years after a wildfire, can lead to some very significant flooding loss very quickly,” said Jeff Jackson, the deputy assistant administrator of federal insurance at FEMA.
Last year, wildfires consumed more than 2.6 million acres across the country. Still, you don’t have to be in a burn scar to be at risk for a flood and financial devastation. “It’s important for everyone to know that your typical homeowner’s policy doesn’t cover a flood, and in order to get that coverage, you need an additional flood insurance policy,” Jackson said.
It’s important for consumers to evaluate the differences between private policies and policies through the National Flood Insurance Program. Ask questions about cost, coverage levels, and exclusions. “The best thing to do is to reach out to your agent. Talk through with them what coverages you have an what an additional flood insurance policy would cost. Your insurance agent is going to be your best local expert,” Jackson said. “The good thing about the National Flood Insurance Program is it’s a federal program and we have some guardrails around us. One is we can’t increase you more than 18% in any given year.”
The number of flood damage claims and the payouts through the National Flood Insurance Program have dropped in recent years in Arizona. According to data provided by FEMA, in 2021, Arizonans filed 162 claims, and the total amount paid out was more than $3.7 million. In 2022, there were 101 claims with payments totaling almost $2.9 million. Last year, there were only 65 claims. The total amount of money paid for those claims was $887,743.
“We know that 99% of counties in America flood over about a 25 year period, which is pretty close to the life of a mortgage, and we know about 4% of Americans have flood insurance,” Jackson said. “Every time we’re in a community where there’s a flood loss, people are either saying to themselves that they didn’t know or wishing they had gone ahead and made the purchase. The difference that you experience with a flood loss between having insurance and not having insurance is like night and day.”
Enter your address using FEMA’s search tool to check your flood risk.
According to FEMA, any area with a 1% chance or higher of experiencing a flood is considered high risk. Keep in mind there is a 30-day waiting period on flood insurance policies.
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