The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season took less than a month to become one of the worst in recorded history.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in southeast Texas on August 25 as a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds. Storm surge raised water and tides more than 12 feet above ground level in some places. Harvey broke rainfall records as it meandered for days, with some areas receiving more than 40 inches of rain in less than 48 hours.

Hurricane Irma hit Florida on September 10 as a Category 4 storm. According to researchers, Irma is one of the most powerful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in more than a decade. Irma had sustained winds of 185 mph for 37 hours, which is the longest cyclone in the world to maintain that level of intensity.

On September 20, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds. The entire island suffered catastrophic damage. In some places the damage was absolute.

As an independent insurance agent who has lived and worked in South Florida for over 30 years, preparing for and recovering from storms is nothing new. But, this year was different. As Hurricane Irma headed toward the southeastern coast of the United States, we received an unprecedented number of calls about flood insurance. Why?

Everyone saw the catastrophic flooding in Texas caused by Hurricane Harvey just weeks before. The damage was devastating. So was the news that nearly 80% of homeowners in the counties most directly affected by the flooding did not have flood insurance.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster. FEMA’s flood hazard mapping program is used to identify flood hazards, assess flood risks, and determine flood insurance requirements.

Unfortunately, too many homeowners and businesses refuse to purchase flood insurance simply because they are not in a high-risk flood zone. Hurricane Harvey taught us that when it comes to flooding, Mother Nature doesn’t pay attention to FEMA’s flood zone maps. You shouldn’t either.

Flood zones are always remapped, but it is a long process that can take years. Updated maps quickly become outdated. Furthermore, the process of identifying properties susceptible to flooding is not a perfect science. For example, flood zone determinations do not adequately consider:

  • localized drainage problems;
  • long-term erosion;
  • ongoing development;
  • topographic variations on individual properties; Prayed
  • failure of flood control systems.

That’s why everyone should seriously consider flood insurance, regardless of whether they’re in a high-risk flood zone. Premiums are relatively affordable, especially when you consider the risks assumed by a flood insurance policy, such as:

  • overflow of inland or tidal waters;
  • land collapse along a body of water by waves or currents; Y
  • rapid accumulation of surface water from any source, including blocked storm drains and broken water pipes below the ground surface.

Uninsured flood damage can devastate any home or business. In the course of just a few weeks, we have seen the landfall of not one, not two, but three hurricanes that are among the most powerful storms in recorded history. This is why those who rely on flood zone maps to justify their decision not to purchase flood insurance should seriously reconsider.