Hurricane Season is here! Time to review flood insurance!
By Thomas M. Kallman
Locate all your insurance policies including flood and check now for deductibles and limits on building and contents. If you do not have flood insurance, stop reading this article and call your insurance agent right away.
Do not assume that if you are in a low to moderate risk zone that you are safe from flooding. Everyone lives in a flood zone. Even low to moderate risk zones regularly suffer a flood losses and no business property or homeowners policy includes this coverage. Your chance of suffering a flood loss is 30 times greater than your chance of a loss due to fire. Floods are caused not only by hurricanes but also by rainstorms, inadequate or overloaded drainage systems, storm surges, wavewash (tides), erosion and failure of flood control systems.
Once you have determined that you have the necessary coverage and your limits are adequate, place your policies in a safe, waterproof spot which can be accessed in an emergency.
Flood insurance is inexpensive and easy to obtain, but usually requires a wait of 30 days to bind and cannot take effect while there is an impending flood loss. Preferred rates are available for homeowners in low flood hazard zones, as well. Federal Government disaster assistance cannot and will not take the place of good insurance. Don’t wait until the time is upon you to think these thoughts through. Planning is everything!
We have put together the following list of websites for your assistance in an emergency:
Red Cross – www.redcross.org
Weather Channel – www.weather.com
National Hurricane Center – www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Florida Department of Insurance – www.doi.state.fl.us/
Storm central for storm advisories via e-mail – www.storm99.com
Broward County Disaster – www.co.broward.fl.us/disaster.htm
Dade County Disaster – www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/OEM/home.htm
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – www.fema.com
State of Florida Emergency Management – www.dca.state.fl.us/fdem/
Thomas Kallman is President of TMK Risk Management Inc dba Kallman Insurance Agency at PO Box 266736, Weston, Florida 33326. Phone 954-389-5897 and email tmk@tmkrisk.com. Your questions are always welcome.
