Getting the word out about flood insurance
Flood coverage doesn’t take effect until 30 days after the policy is written, making it important to act now.
With the rainy season coming on, Washington state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is urging property insurers to tell their customers how to get flood insurance.
State lawmakers this year passed a law requiring insurers to annually remind homeowners that their policy doesn’t cover flooding, and to provide information about the National Flood Insurance Program.
The NFIP site allows people to instantly find out their flood risk by typing in an address, as well as examples of flood premiums and a list of local agents.
State officials are especially concerned about Green River and the Howard Hanson Dam, where a weakened abutment may require the Army Corps of Engineers to release more water than usual. The dam itself is not believed to be at risk for failure, but the need to keep the pool behind the dam low heightens the risk of flooding downstream in the heavily developed Green River Valley. That includes parts of Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila.
“Many people mistakenly think that their regular homeowners’ insurance covers flooding, when in fact it doesn’t,” Kreidler said.
Flood coverage doesn’t take effect until 30 days after the policy is written, making it important to act now.
In addition to buying flood insurance, Kreidler recommends that people in floodways:
• Consider installing a sewer backflow valve to prevent sewer lines from backing up into the house through drain pipes.
• Document the contents of their homes with photos or a video.
• Move important papers (birth and marriage certificates, insurance policies, tax returns, bank statements, major receipts, property records, legal papers, etc.) upstairs, and, if possible, make copies to store at another location.
• Plan for evacuation: Keep medicine, food, water, a flashlight, sleeping bag, clothing, battery-powered radio, key documents and photographs, toiletries, and pet and baby supplies handy in one place.
