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 […]
The month of August is not particularly kind to the state of Louisiana. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina and a failed levee left a trail of devastation. Eleven years later, this month, a no-name storm delivered an unrelenting rainfall resulting in flash flood emergencies, an overtopped levee, and widespread flooding throughout southern Louisiana. The Red Cross […]
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires an elevation certificate to certify the elevation and other characteristics of a building to determine an actuarially sound flood insurance rate. Errors or omissions lead insurance agents to misrate flood insurance policies, resulting in liability for the surveyor, insurance agent, and most importantly, property owner. Because of elevation […]
Elevation Certificates: Why You Need Them Elevation Certificates are important documents that state the elevation of buildings. In addition to elevation, Elevation Certificates also describe the building location, Lowest Floor Elevation, building characteristics, and flood zone. If your home or business is in a high-risk flood zone, Elevation Certificates are indispensable. One reason why you […]
Last month in Houston, TX, torrential rains dumped more than 15 inches in some areas. The following screen capture illustrates the fury of flood warnings in the region on April 18. The severe weather resulted in massive flooding, impassable roads, citizen evacuations, closed schools and crippled businesses. According to local reports, April’s relentless downpour will […]
Elevation plays a critical role in determining 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 Bergen County, New Jersey, FEMA is in the midst of updating the area’s […]
In a recent post for Property Casualty 360, Sam Friedman and Aditya Udai Signh summarize findings from a Deloitte Financial Services report on the challenges and opportunities of flood insurance privatization. While there are some advantages for private insurers to get back into the U.S. flood insurance business, given the rollback on flood insurance reform, […]