Could Your Texas Home Now be in a Flood Zone?

Many changes to flood zone maps occurred over several counties in Texas since 2010. If your home’s location has been reclassified as a flood zone and you no longer have a mortgage on it then you may not know about these changes because you are not required to buy flood insurance. Just because you are no longer required to buy this valuable coverage doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t.

Home vs. Flood Insurance

Hurricanes, fires, and theft can threaten your home at any moment.  A home insurance policy protects your home’s structure and contents from these threats. It does not, however, protect homes from flooding or storm surges.

Without a flood insurance policy, if a body of water near your home rises as a result of heavy rains, runoff, or storm surge and its waters rise to meet, and infiltrate, your home, then you will have no way to recover your damages and no assistance in preventing mold, rebuilding, or draining the water.

Benefits and Limitations

Any homeowner can buy a flood insurance policy whether you reside in a designated flood zone or not.  The policy usually covers the actual building as well as the contents as well as coverage for wiring, plumbing and some appliances. Flood insurance includes other benefits such as cleanup and reimbursement for protective measures like sandbags.

Be aware that your flood insurance policy will have limits that outline the maximum benefit it will pay out. If you have valuable antiques or jewelry in your home and their value exceeds your policy’s limits, you will need additional coverage or endorsements to fully protect them.

Mold damage that could have been prevented, may be excluded from flood insurance coverage. Also, damages to outdoor structures are excluded and there is no loss of use benefit, so your temporary accommodations won’t be reimbursed. If the flooding is the result of rain entering your home rather than the overflow of a body of water then your home insurance policy may cover the damages rather than a flood insurance policy.