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Flooding can harm coastal and inland communities, whether a storm surge from a hurricane, flash floods from a severe thunderstorm, or the rising tide from oceans and rivers.
Across the U.S., floods cause over $180 billion in annual damage. If you live in or near a flood zone, now is the time to protect your home from this severe threat. Here’s all you need to know about surviving life in a flood zone as the waters swell.
What's Inside
What Is a Flood Zone?
Flood zones are locations set apart by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to denote their flood risk level. These zones vary from low to high risk, impacting their insurance requirements and infrastructure regulations.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) uses a scale to categorize areas’ flood risk ratings. Here’s a rundown of the significant flood zones and a resource to check your flood zone status.
- Zone X (Unshaded): minimal risk of flooding (less than a 0.2% chance of floods annually)
- Zone X (Shaded): moderate risk of flooding (about a 0.2 % chance of flooding)
- Zone A: 1% chance of annual flooding (also known as the 100-year floodplain), where elevations have not been specified
- Zone AE, A1-A30: 1% chance of annual flooding, where base flood elevations are specified
- Zone V: Coastal areas with a greater than 1% chance of annual flooding and other climate hazards due to storm waves
- Zone VE, V1-V30: Coastal areas with greater than 1% chance of annual flooding, where base flood elevations have been specified, and storm waves increase the risk of other climate hazards
Preparing Your Home for the Threat of a Flood
Once you know which flood zone you’re in, you can take measures to protect your household from this extreme weather. The following precautions will reduce the risk of damage to your home and harm to your loved ones:
Flood Proof Your Home
- Utilities: To mitigate the risk of electrical hazards, raise appliances, HVAC systems, and water heaters above the base flood elevation.
- Sump Pumps: If your home has a basement, install a sump pump with a reliable battery backup. The pump will drain any accumulating water to keep the basement dry during and after the flood.
- Structural Integrity: Construct windows, doors, walls, and floors in areas below the base flood elevation using water-resistant materials. Use sealants to plug cracks and prevent water from seeping into the foundation.
- Flood Vents: Install durable, FEMA-compliant flood vents in your home. These vents ensure that floodwaters can percolate freely through the foundation instead of causing hydrostatic pressure to build in the walls and floors.
- Furniture: Move all furnishings and other valuable items to higher levels in your home. Secure any outdoor items that could become projectiles.
Formulate a Plan
- Remain Alert and Informed: Sign up for automatic updates on weather forecasts in your area. Monitor real-time broadcasts from FEMA, the National Weather Service, and local meteorologists. Invest in a battery-operated emergency weather radio if you lose power or cannot access mobile cellular reception.
- Prepare an Emergency Kit: Place essentials like water bottles, nonperishable food, medications, crucial documents, or first aid supplies in a water-resistant container. Store this emergency kit in a secure but accessible location.
- Know Your Evacuation Route: Establish a clear evacuation plan together as a family, then practice it so everyone knows how to respond in an emergency. Follow flood evacuation orders as soon as possible.
Prioritize Safety
- During the Flood: Do not walk or drive through floodwaters. Just 6 inches of rushing water can pull you into its current, and 1 foot of standing water can sweep a vehicle away. If you cannot evacuate, remain indoors in the highest level of your home without entering the attic unless it’s unavoidable.
- After the Flood: Return home once authorities declare it safe. Wear protective gear as you walk around the premises to minimize the risk of injury from debris or contracting an illness from standing water.
- During the Recovery: It’s not safe or practical to tackle the restoration process alone. Hire a professional remediation service with the right equipment and expertise to handle everything from the initial flood clean-up to the structural damage repairs and final inspections. These technicians can even help you file an insurance claim to mitigate financial loss in the event of severe damage.
The Importance of Flood Insurance Coverage
Flood insurance is a necessity for homeowners in flood-prone areas. Most regular homeowners insurance policies do not cover this type of damage, so you’ll need to take out another policy for flood coverage. It’s an investment on the front end—the annual cost of flood insurance is nearly $890, on average—but it can save you thousands in the long run.
Are you on the fence about investing in this kind of policy? Here are three reasons why flood insurance is non-negotiable for maximum protection from severe weather:
- Financial Security: Flooding can cause extensive damage to both your home and other valuables, but flood insurance will compensate you for all the necessary repairs. Without adequate coverage, you’ll have to bear those expenses alone, which can be financially devastating and result in much longer recovery times.
- Federal Requirements: Laws require most homeowners in flood zones to have separate flood insurance coverage. Failure to secure a flood insurance policy can lead to mortgage penalties, such as force-placed insurance, which is usually more expensive with less reliable coverage.
- Peace of Mind: Knowing you have robust flood insurance coverage will allow you to focus on personal safety and long-term restoration without the pressure of financial strain or the hassle of regulatory issues.
Navigate Flood Zones Safely and Proactively
Life in a flood zone requires careful planning and swift, proactive measures. Take the right steps to safeguard your home, secure reliable flood insurance coverage, and know how to respond if a weather emergency occurs. Taking these actions will keep you and your loved ones safe and minimize the extent of damage to your property.
