Flood Insurance

        Flood Insurance protects your house & possessions from loss by rising water from the outside. Homeowner's and other property insurance specifically excludes this peril. If you own a house in a known flood risk area (i.e., the 100-year floodplain) with a bank loan, your mortgage bank will normally require flood insurance. Flooding damage can occur anywhere. For homes outside of the known flood risk areas, a pre-package "Preferred Flood Insurance" policy is available at a modest cost. Flood insurance is also available to protect possessions of tenants and for commercial buildings.

Ready for a Flood Insurance Quote?

Since homeowners and flood insurance are related, please use the home insurance quote request below. On the question "Other Insurance Needed," please mark flood.

Home Insurance Quote Request

Flood Insurance Coverage:

Building - Provides protection up to your limit for damage or destruction of your house or other dwelling from peril of flood including rising water and mudslide.  

Contents - Provides protection for your clothes, appliances, furniture and other possessions at your residence from peril of flood including rising water and mudslide. Flood Insurance offers "Actual Cash Value" as the basis of settlement. Contents coverage is optional and has a separate deductible.
 
Secondary Structures (fences, sheds, etc.) - No coverage is extended to secondary structures from the standard flood policy. Coverage is only available for the main structure.

Flood Insurance provides no loss of use.

Flood Zones:

In the Austin area, generally you are outside of the "Special Flood Risk Area" (flood zone "X") or subject to river / stream flooding (flood zones "A" or "AE"). Following is a key to the flood zone letter code system.

A - River / stream flood risk 
AE - River / stream flood risk with mapped base flood elevations
AO - River / stream flood risk with shallow water depths (1-3 feet)
AH - River / stream flood risk with shallow water paths (flows of 1-3 feet)
V - Coastal or Storm Surge flood risk
VE - Coastal or Storm Surge flood risk with mapped base flood elevations
X - Not a Special Flood Risk Area (elevation above the 100-year floodplain)

Flood Insurance Terminology:

UNDERSTANDING FLOOD INSURANCE

An overview of Flood Insurance.

Base Flood Elevation - The level at which there is a 1% chance of flooding in any given year. A building that is located on land below the "Base Flood Elevation" is inside the 100-year floodplain.

Elevation Certificate - Clarifies the relative elevation of your house in relation to the know flood risk. This allows for more accurate rating of the flood insurance policy and may reduce your flood insurance rates.

Flood Maps ("FIRM" - Flood Insurance Ratings Maps) - Created by FEMA's (Federal Emergency Management Agency) National Flood Insurance Program, these maps were created to determine which land areas are likely to be flooded. These maps are based on surveys of the elevation of land areas relative to known flood risks (creeks, rivers, lakes, etc.).

Floodplain - Any normally dry land area that is susceptible to being inundated by water often because it is adjacent to a watercourse. The 100-year Floodplain is the land that would be inundated by a 100-year flood event.

Flooding - Rising water from outside enters a structure. An example would be a house inundation from a flash flood. The flood peril also includes mudslide.

Hundred Year Flood - An engineering term used to describe the relative flooding risk. A house that is located inside the Hundred Year Floodplain is considered to have a 1% change of being flooded in any given year. Most mortgages require that a house that is located in a Hundred Year Flood risk area must be insured for flood.

LOMA (Letter of Map Amendment) - Document used to establish that a building is not located in a Special Flood Hazard Area. A typical situation in which a LOMA would be important is when a part of a house lot is subject to flooding in a 100-year storm but the house itself has been built at a higher elevation.

National Flood Insurance Program - This is the government agency that provides insurance for the flood peril in the United States. Insurance companies are licensed to sell flood insurance policies for this government agency. All financial backing, rules and contract terms are set by the National Flood Insurance Program which is part of FEMA.

Special Flood Hazard Area - A geographic area that is prone to flooding. An example would be an area adjacent to a river that has an elevation low enough to be subject to flooding.

Flood Insurance Resources:

City of Austin's Watershed Department resources at www.ci.austin.tx.us/watershed

FEMA / National Flood Insurance Link for more information: FloodSmart.gov

Recent Austin Flood Events
Special Central Texas Flood Risks
Understanding Flood Insurance

Flood Insurance Announcements

 Flood Events