Even if a home is not in a federally-designated flood area, the floodplains are changing with new 100-year floods that are not expected.
The national recognition of flood zones in America is designated by maps maintained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These maps are available for free from FEMA at the Flood Map Service Center. They are called the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).
A FIRM is a useful starting point for evaluating the flood risk for a community; however, relying only on a FIRM may put many homes at risk that were not previously considered to be in flood zones. This is because global climate changes are causing the flood zones to change. Consult with your agent at Oliver Insurance, serving Canby, OR, to learn more about the hidden risk of floods in areas not currently designated as being in a flood zone.
The FIRM for any community is based on historical records. The problem with this is the reliance on historical data does not take into account extraordinary floods that happen due to unprecedented climate changes. This past year was a clear example of the surprising natural disasters that are possible.
There were three major hurricanes that caused huge damage to the U.S. and its territories. These all were considered 100-year events. This means that they had a small likelihood of occurring and were only expected to happen once in every one hundred years.
In fact, US Today reports that the probable risk of any major hurricane is about 11% each year for Miami and less than five percent for Houston, Texas or for Puerto Rico. To have three of these major disasters in the same year, doing billions of dollars in damage, is definitely an anomaly according to historical statistical probabilities.
Consider Flood Insurance
Even if your home is currently not located in a flood zone, according to the old maps maintained by FEMA, considering flood insurance is still a good idea. Relying on old maps is not the best strategy when major record-breaking weather changes are occurring. Check with your agent at Oliver Insurance, serving Canby, OR, to learn more about flood insurance for your home and properties. Contact us today.
