Be Floodsmart; Find Out Your Flood Threat 

Part of a series on Hurricane Preparedness in Texas

Release Date: April 4, 2006
Release Number: 1606-181

» More Information on Texas Hurricane Rita

AUSTIN, Texas -- Do you know if there is a flood threat near your home or business? If not, there is a simple way to find out:  visit www.floodsmart.gov, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Web site.

There, 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.

It takes 30 days after purchase for a flood insurance policy to take effect, so it's important to buy it before the floodwaters start to rise. If a policy is purchased in conjunction with a mortgage closing, there is no waiting period.

To find flood information, type www.floodsmart.gov in the address bar of your Web browser. Start your visit by clicking in the blue box at the top right or on the upper left side of the FloodSmart home page "what's your flood risk" link. A screen will appear, where you can enter your street address, city, state and zip code. Press the "submit" button. Your risk will be displayed. If a red box indicates your risk level is unavailable, follow the information in and below the box.

Once you know your risk, click on "estimate your premium" in the blue box, in the top right corner of the page. This is a general estimate 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 $100 to $350 a year, depending on the amount of coverage selected.

Clicking on "find an agent" will provide 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.

There is additional information about flood insurance, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and other flood related issues. Everyone is encouraged to extend their visit to www.floodsmart.gov to learn more about flooding and how to protect yourself from flooding.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 16-May-2006 11:03:58