Global Courant
It took less than a month for the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season to become one of the worst in recorded history.
Hurricane Harvey made landfall in southeastern Texas on August 25 as a Category 4 storm with winds of 130 mph. The storm surge raised the water and tides more than 12 feet above ground level in some places. Harvey shattered rain records as it meandered for days, with some areas receiving more than 40 inches of rain in less than 48 hours.
Hurricane Irma hit Florida on Sept. 10 as a Category 4 storm. According to researchers, Irma is one of the most powerful storms to roam the Atlantic basin in more than a decade. Irma had sustained winds of 185 mph for 37 hours, making it the longest cyclone in the world to maintain that level of intensity.
On September 20, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm with winds of 150 mph. The entire island suffered catastrophic damage. In some places the damage was absolute.
As an independent insurance agent who has lived and worked in South Florida for over 30 years, preparing for and recovering from storms is nothing new. But this year was different. As Hurricane Irma made its way to the Southeast coast of the United States, we received an unprecedented number of calls about flood insurance. Why?
Everyone saw the catastrophic flooding in Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey just a few weeks earlier. The damage was devastating. So did the news that nearly 80% of homeowners in the counties most affected by floods had no flood insurance.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), floods are the most common and costly natural disaster. FEMA’s flood hazard mapping program is used to identify flood risks, assess flood risks, and determine flood insurance requirements.
Unfortunately, too many homeowners and businesses refuse to purchase flood insurance simply because they are not located in a flood risk area. Hurricane Harvey has taught us that when floods occur, Mother Nature ignores FEMA’s flood zone maps. You shouldn’t either.
Flood areas are always re-mapped, but it is a long process that can take years. Updated maps quickly become obsolete. In addition, identifying property prone to flooding is not a perfect science. For example, when determining the flood area, insufficient account is taken of:
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local drainage problems;
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long-term erosion;
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continuous development;
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topographical differences on individual properties; or
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the failure of flood management systems.
Therefore, everyone should seriously consider flood insurance, regardless of whether they are in a flood risk area. Premiums are relatively affordable, especially when you consider the risks of flood insurance, such as:
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inundation of inland or tidal waters;
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collapse of land along a body of water by waves or currents; And
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rapid accumulation of surface water from any source, including clogged storm drains and broken water pipes below the ground surface.
Uninsured flood damage can destroy any home or business. Over the course of just a few weeks, we’ve seen the landfall of not one, not two, but three hurricanes that are among the most powerful storms in recorded history. This is why those who rely on flood zone maps should seriously reconsider their decision not to purchase flood insurance.
Lessons from the 2017 hurricane season: Do you have flood insurance?
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