By Emily Miller
As the weather is starting to warm up, house owners are being advised by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase flood insurance as melting mountaintops and rainy months are on the horizon.
In most circumstances, there is a 30-day waiting period from the time the policy is written and the premiums is paid until the policy goes into effect. That means a policy purchased today, April 8, would not go into effect until May 8.
It also means that a policy purchased a few weeks from today might not be in effect when spring runoff starts.
National Flood Insurance Programs policies are available for homeowners, businesses and renters and include coverage for the structure and the contents.
According to FEMA, policy limits are $250,000 for residential structures and $100,000 for residential contents. Business structures and contents can be insured for up to $500,000 each. Renter content policies are available with a limit of $100,000.
Flood insurance is available only to people who live or own businesses in a participating community with an approved flood hazard plan. To find out if you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area, contact your floodplain manager through your local or county government.
In fact, people who do live in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and who have a federally backed loan, are required to carry flood insurance.
People with flood insurance can collect payment for damaged sustained in most flooding events, even if the flooding does not result in a disaster declaration.
