Some home owners that were affected by Superstorm Sandy didn’t have flood insurance—they may have not known they needed it because, for example, they no longer had a mortgage so they weren’t notified of the need for flood insurance. Even if you don’t have a mortgage, if your home is in a high risk area, you need flood insurance in order to be eligible for FEMA assistance. To find out more about what you need, where to get it, how much it will cost and much more, go to www.floodsmart.gov or call the national flood insurance number 1-888-379-9531. At this site you can learn about the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), about flooding and flood risks, about the coverage required for home and for commercial properties, how to get flood insurance and much more. Also, flood maps have been changing, so you need to know exactly what the requirements are for you address. You can enter your address on this website and learn about the flood insurance requirements for your home or business.
Sandy taught us all a hard lesson. Protect your documents! Collect all your most important documents, such as insurance contracts (regular home and flood insurance, household contents insurance, life insurance, etc.), receipts for purchases for the home such as major appliances, title and mortgage documents, birth certificates, licenses, etc. Make copies, and/or scan them, and store them in several locations, including online locations. No one expected Sandy to be a destructive as it was—and many people had to leave homes in emergency mode without crucial documents. Now is the time to make plans and keep crucial documents secure—it’s clear that 100 year floods are happening more often than every 100 years!