# Flood insurance in US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flood-insurance-in-us/661739 "2013-06-23T23:37:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flood-insurance-in-us/661739/21 "2013-07-01T22:05:25Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > Thanks. This is what I was trying to say and apparently doing a poor job of it. > > For those of you who currently have flood coverage, please read before cancelling your flood policy: > > When I bought my current home, the mortgage company required me to purchase flood insurance. I have a small meandering creek at the back of my property that had never flooded before. As a career insurance adjuster, I argued until I was blue in the face that I didn’t NEED flood insurance. They forced the issue so I purchased it with the intent of applying to FEMA to have the maps redrawn removing my property. I never got around to filing with FEMA. > > As luck would have it, 10 years later we had 4 inches of rain in like 2 hours and my entire neighborhood was flooded. I had over $65,000 in damage to my home which was all covered by the flood policy. I didn’t do it but felt I should have sent my mortgage company a thank you note… YMMV, but for me I don’t see the real need. The only reason my home was placed in the flood plane was because of a levy that was in disrepair. There are floodgates and drainage ponds all along the creek that I live on and they work quite well; basically if they let my home flood they would have to let the downtown business district flood and they won’t let that happen as they have a large park down stream that they could let flood. Now my basement did flood three years ago due to a six inch rain that overwhelmed the city storm drains and FEMA would not cover it. WTF I said! :mad: And then I started digging into the city sewer maps and our neighbors filed a class action suit because it turned out that someone from the city water department had shut off the overflow valve into the sanitary sewer system. :smack: They must have been worried that the rain water was going to contaminant the shit water. Anyway, the city learned not to PO an engineer that could read and understand water systems and paid me and my neighbors for damages. I got $6K and another neighbor got $45K. ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flood-insurance-in-us/661739/22 "2013-07-02T17:34:46Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > Unfortunately, it’s not “insurance people _can_ get,” it’s insurance \*you are required to get \*when you buy a house that FEMA has declared to be on a flood plain. :mad: > > Even if your house is 40 feet above the local creek, which usually runs 4 feet deep. > > Bitter? Who, us? That’s why they have this. Even if your property appears to be in the floodplain as shown on the pertinent FIRM map you can be officially exempted if your structure is above the base flood elevation. With more surveyors using GPS, the Elevation Cert’s are a lot cheaper to get than they used to be when traditional level runs had to be performed to determine structure elevations. Honest, the ‘gummint’ is not trying to mess with you. Firm maps generally show large areas and don’t show every ‘bump’ in the land. I’ve done a bunch of them for clients - they’re a bit technical (that’s why a Licensed Surveyor prepares them and certifies the work) but you can have one done fairly quickly. Some outfits can have the Cert. for you the day the field work is done. Flood Insurance is expensive and yearly, Elevation Cert’s are cheap and one-time - you do the math. "The Elevation Certificate is one way for a community to comply with the National Flood Insurance Program requirement that the community obtain the elevation of the lowest floor (including basement) of all new and substantially improved structures and maintain a record of such information. The Elevation Certificate also is required to properly rate structures constructed after publication of the Flood Insurance Rate Map for flood insurance premiums. If an Elevation Certificate has been prepared for your property, you may be able to obtain it from the property developer or from community officials. Communities often require preparation of Elevation Certificates for properties as part of the permitting process. You can contact your local floodplain officials or the planning and zoning office to see if an Elevation Certificate already exists for your property. Elevation Certificates must be prepared and certified by a Licensed Land Surveyor, Registered Professional Engineer, or Registered Architect who is authorized by State or local law to certify elevation information. Community officials who are authorized by local law or ordinance to provide floodplain management information may also sign the certificate." ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flood-insurance-in-us/661739/23 "2013-07-03T02:32:07Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > Unfortunately, it’s not “insurance people _can_ get,” it’s insurance \*you are required to get \*when you buy a house that FEMA has declared to be on a flood plain. :mad: > > Even if your house is 40 feet above the local creek, which usually runs 4 feet deep. > > Bitter? Who, us? if you don’t wish to pay for flood insurance, you can get an elevation survey of your home and if the lowest (and that includes everything including the pad of your air conditioner if you have a central unit) point is above the required elevation for your area, you can get an exemption. contact your insurance agent or FEMA. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flood-insurance-in-us/661739.md?page=1)