Hurricane and Flood Safe

At a glance..

Do you need flood and hurricane insurance? This publication should answer this question and give you information being prepared in case of flood and hurricane damage.

The details..

In this book excerpt, Robert and Gale Stradley share their experience surviving Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Their home was flooded for seven days causing them to lose everything they owned. However, thanks to government help from FEMA grants for temporary housing and a low-interest loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration through their own bank, they were able to rebuild their home by elevating it out of harm's way. The couple shares that taking mitigation measures such as elevating homes can reduce flood insurance premiums.

The book also includes information about online education resources provided by FEMA regarding National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) training opportunities. These tutorials offer detailed explanations on reading Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM's), understanding GIS systems, Elevation Certificates among other topics related to NFIP.

The third paragraph explains what homeowners need to know before buying a property located within a Special Flood Hazard Area identified in your community's Flood Insurance Study or accompanying maps known as FIRMs which have been developed using historical data showing areas prone flooding events during major storms like hurricanes . Homeowners should be aware that typical homeowner or business insurances do not cover damage caused by floods; therefore purchasing an additional policy is recommended if you live in these high-risk areas.

Finally,the last section emphasizes why compliance with local building codes is important when constructing new structures or repairing damaged ones after natural disasters occur.The author stresses that failure comply could result in legal action taken against violators including halting development projects,revoking permits issued imposing fines,and withholding certificates occupancy.In addition,a structure built without considering potential risks posed by future flooding will repeatedly require financial assistance from government programs like NFIP when disaster strikes again.