Be Floodsmart 

Find Out About Your Flood Risk

Release Date: October 16, 2008
Release Number: 1794-019

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LONG BEACH, Miss. -- Not knowing the flood risk for your home or business could cost you a lot of money. But there is a simple way to find out that risk: visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Web site at www.floodsmart.gov.

With a few simple mouse clicks, you can find if your property is at risk for flooding, find an insurance agent who sells flood insurance in your area and get an estimate of what the flood insurance policy may cost.

To find that information, enter www.floodsmart.gov into the address bar of your Web browser. A screen will appear where you can enter your street address, city, state and zip code. Press the "Go" button. The answer will tell you if your property is in a high risk, or low to moderate risk, flood zone.

Once you know your risk, scroll down to see a general estimated range of what a flood insurance policy for your property will cost - for both structural and contents coverage – calculated by amount of insurance desired. For low to moderate risk areas, preferred risk flood insurance policies are available from $119 to $388 a year, depending on the amount of coverage selected.

Also shown is a list of insurance agents who sell flood insurance in your area. Only an insurance agent can provide the full, detailed cost of flood insurance for your structure and contents.

Mississippi residents can also get a more detailed look at their local flood maps by going to the MEMA Web site at www.msema.org and clicking on the flood map link on the front page.

Additional information about flood insurance, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and other flood related issues is available at www.fema.gov.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Thursday, 16-Oct-2008 13:57:28