Protect Your Home and Business: Buy Flood Insurance Today
Do you live in Florida? Own a business in the Sunshine State? If you want to protect your home, business and personal property, you need to purchase flood insurance. Many people do not realize that neither homeowners nor rental insurance covers damage caused by flooding. Most business insurance policies exclude flood damage. Only flood insurance protects you in a flood event.
Last year, heavy rain and storm surge from Hurricane Irma caused widespread flooding throughout Florida. Of the nearly 3 million households who registered for assistance from FEMA, only 226,199 homeowners reported having a flood insurance policy. Many Floridians who did not have flood insurance and lost property because of flooding caused by the hurricane experienced financial hardship.
You have worked hard for your home, property and business; purchasing a flood insurance policy is one way you can protect your future. A single-family residential building can be insured up to a maximum of $250,000 and its contents up to $100,000. Renters can cover contents up to $100,000. Non-residential property owners can insure their building up to $500,000 and contents up to $500,000.
Floridians who live in low-to-moderate risk areas can purchase an annual flood insurance policy for as little as $500. To find an agent who sells flood insurance or to learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program, call 800-427-4661 or visit www.FloodSmart.gov.
Hurricane season began June 1. NFIP flood insurance policies have a 30-day waiting period before the policy becomes effective so don’t wait, buy now.
Flood insurance policies cover you 365 days a year and can provide assistance even if a flood event is not a presidentially declared disaster. Without flood insurance, you may be left without any insurance coverage when you need it most.
For more Hurricane Irma recovery information, visit www.FEMA.gov/IrmaFL.
Follow FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Twitter at @FEMARegion4 and @FLSERT. You may also visit FEMA and the Division’s Facebook pages at Facebook.com/FEMA and Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.
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