This is an excerpt of a commentary by Anita Byer, president of Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk in Plantation, FL. Read it in its entirety at Hill Country News. This year is the 50th anniversary of the National Flood Insurance Program, and this federally subsidized program has not aged well. In 2017, it had the […]
Elevation plays a critical role in determining flood risk and flood insurance rates. A couple of feet, a few documentation errors or significant omissions can make a considerable difference in the amount property owners pay for coverage or measures implemented to mitigate flood damage. In Charleston, SC, city officials consider raising elevation guidelines to reduce […]
(This excerpt was originally published at Inside Sources) Since September 2017, lawmakers had passed nine short-term extensions to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which covers more than 5.1 million flood policies throughout the country and provides vital assistance to disaster-stricken communities. On December 21, 2018, they did it again, voting to keep the program […]
In the following excerpts from a commentary for The Hill by ValuePenguin’s Maxime Rieman, one thing is clear, property owners across the United States are either shortchanged or shortsighted by flood insurance. Rieman’s perspective begs the question we’ve been posing for quite some time: Is the price homeowners forced to pay for flood insurance justified, […]
June 1 marks the official start of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season. There are predictions of a slightly above-average and slightly below-average season, a forecast of up to 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes; and the reality: plan for the worst, hope for the best. This spring, the hurricane forecasting team from […]
Welcome to The Ozarks, and in particular, the Camden County, Missouri, communities surrounding the Lake of the Ozarks, where FEMA’s revised -and many would say “flawed” – flood maps serve as a cautionary tale for property owners: Verify your flood zone designation! Courtesy of KY3 (Springfield, MO), here’s their story: CAMDENTON, Mo. — “They have […]
From the headlines to your bottom line, this edition of Flood Risk News & Notes includes another extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); an increase in flood insurance premium rates; flood map changes in more than 70 communities around the country; and a reminder about elevation certificates. Below you will find a summary […]
FEMA’s release of revised flood insurance rate maps includes 42 communities in seven states: Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Many flood map updates place homes and buildings in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), also known as a high-risk flood zone. A flood map reflects a geographic area -not individual property […]
The month of December is traditionally a busy month, and it appears that the FEMA elves have worked overtime to release revised flood insurance rate maps for more than 100 communities in 10 states: Colorado, North Dakota, Utah, New Jersey, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana. The new maps place many homes and […]
On November 3, 2017, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released revised flood insurance rate maps for select communities in three states: New York, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. The new maps place many homes and buildings in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), also known as a high-risk flood zone. A flood map reflects a geographic […]