Most home and renters policies don’t cover flood damage. You need a separate flood insurance policy to cover your home from rising flood water. There are about 5.3 million home insurance policies in Texas, but only about 753,000 federal flood policies. That means only about 14% of Texas homeowners are covered by flood insurance.
The Texas Department of Insurance encourages all Texans to consider flood insurance. Even a small amount of water can cause thousands of dollars of damage. If you don’t have flood insurance, you’ll have to pay for those repairs on your own.
If you live in a flood zone, your mortgage lender will require you to get flood insurance. But even if it’s not required where you live, you should still consider buying coverage. The National Flood Insurance Program, which provides most flood insurance policies, says many flood claims come from outside high-risk flood zones.
Unless you are buying a home, most flood policies have a 30-day waiting period before your coverage begins. So, you can’t wait until a storm is brewing to get coverage. Remember, hurricane season starts June 1.
Additional resources:
- Why you need flood insurance (13:45 video interview with FEMA).
- Visit the National Flood Insurance Program at Floodsmart.gov.