Flood insurance is sold separately from the homeowner’s insurance because of the immense damage that a flood can cause your house if water gets inside. This fact is especially true in our part of the country, prone as it is to hurricanes. However, as Familia Insurance Agency serving Kissimmee, FL suggests, there are ways to flood-proof your home to prevent or at least mitigate the damage if the waters start to rise toward your front door.
The first step you should take before buying a new home is to consult Floodsmart.gov to determine how flood-prone is your prospective new home’s area is. You should also ask the neighbors, especially those who have lived in the neighborhood for a long time, whether the area has ever flooded.
You should also check to see how high the house is relative to the street level. The more elevated the house, the less likely that a severe flood can get inside. If you want to spend some money, you can raise the level of the house a foot or two, which may make all the difference,
Once you buy a house, a number of ways exist to flood-proof it. You can use a sealant to try to make the walls near the ground waterproof. Fit your home with waterproof windows and doors.
You can minimize the damage to your home if flood waters do enter by raising electrical outlets, making sure that electronics and other valuable equipment are elevated, and having some waterproof bags to keep valuables in.
Above all, you should buy flood insurance, which can save you thousands of dollars if the worst happens.
For questions on flood insurance, contact Familia Insurance Agency serving Kissimmee, FL
