Harrisburg, Pa. — Pennsylvania is entering its wet season with possible flooding during heavy spring rains and unpredictable summer storms. Because flooding often occurs during this time of year, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) is advising residents to consider preparing by purchasing flood insurance.
According to PEMA, just an inch of flood water can cause $25,000 of damage to a home or business.
“Flooding becomes a real threat in the spring and summer, and we’re urging Pennsylvanians to be prepared in case the unthinkable happens,” said Pa. Acting Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys. “Too often we see homeowners who suffer devastating damages to their properties from flooding, only to realize that the standard homeowners insurance policy does not cover those damages. Homeowners should review their policies now and consider adding flood insurance coverage, because where it rains, it can flood.”
Pennsylvania has about 3.1 million insured homes, but fewer than one percent of those homes have flood insurance. Most home insurance policies don’t include flooding from overflowing rivers, tides, or rainfall that fails to drain quickly enough.
Homes in federally-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas are often required to have flood insurance by mortgage lenders. Those purchasing new homes should research whether the location of the new home is prone to flooding, and homeowners who have already paid off their mortgages may want to consider maintaining flood insurance even if it is not required by a lender.
Flood insurance is available through both the National Flood Insurance Program and a private market. Policies can be purchased through licensed property and casualty insurance agents in Pennsylvania to cover almost any building and its contents, including rental property and condominiums. Renters can purchase flood insurance protection for their possessions, which are generally not covered by standard renters’ insurance or a landlords’ building insurance policies.
Flood Hazard Area home buyers who were required to have flood insurance are encouraged to shop around with private insurance companies. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development now allows people with mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration to purchase flood policies through private insurers.
As of January 2023, there were approximately 15,900 private residential flood policies written by the private insurance market in Pennsylvania. This compares to approximately 35,600 private residential flood policies written by the National Flood Insurance Program.
“Consumers should be aware that flood insurance policies are not active immediately,” added Humphreys. “In most scenarios, there is a 30-day waiting period before policies are active.”
Even people outside of typical flood zones may want to consider flood insurance. Short, heavy storms can cause flash floods in areas that historically do not experience many floods. Insurance policies for these areas tend to be fairly inexpensive.
Families are also encouraged to prepare an emergency communication plan so that everybody knows how to stay in touch during an emergency. The plan should be reviewed and practiced regularly so that everyone can follow it easily if it ever becomes necessary.
Family emergency plan templates and downloadable checklists are available on the ReadyPA website.
Information on both the NFIP and private flood insurance is available on the Insurance Department’s one-stop flood insurance webpage.
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.