Baton Rouge Flood Insurance

LANOIX INSURANCE AGENCY

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), “floods are the most common, and most costly, natural disaster.” About 60 percent of all declared disasters involve flooding. Floods have caused more than $25 billion in insured losses due to flooding over the last 10 years in the U.S.

Here in Baton Rouge and the River Parishes, Louisiana, most of us live only a few feet above sea level, and we experience storms that can put us at even greater risk for flooding. Many areas in Baton Rouge and the River Parishes are designated by FEMA as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs), or flood zones, that are at a higher risk than other areas.

As a renter or home owner, it’s important to know that your home insurance policy does not cover flooding damage. Even if you have a hurricane policy, you may also need separate flood coverage. Flood insurance can provide protection for your home and belongings, even in cases where the flooding is not severe enough for federal aid.

Our insurance agents can help you get covered through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which offers insurance backed by the federal government for homeowners, renters, and business owners in Louisiana. We can determine what deductibles you need, and the level of coverage that is best for you.

Benefits of Flood Insurance

One of the best things flood insurance can provide is protection for your home and personal belongings. We can provide you with a flood insurance quote and sit down with you to review what these policies cover. Here are some of the benefits of having flood insurance:

Prompt payment of claims helps you pay for your immediate needs and replace your belongings in a timely manner.
Coverage up to $250,000 is available for your home, plus another $100,000 for the contents, and up to $500,000 is available for business owners.
Policies with separate contents coverage are available so renters are able to get flood insurance protection as well.

Misconceptions about Flood Insurance

Sometimes people put off buying flood insurance because they have some common misconceptions about the policies.

Many people believe that flood insurance is too expensive for them to afford. In fact, the average premium for a federally-backed flood insurance policy is less than $50 a month. By comparison, if you don’t have flood insurance and you have to get a disaster home loan to pay for damages, the average cost is over $300 a month for 20 years on a $50,000 loan at 4% interest.

Others believe that because they have never experienced a flood in their area, or because their area is not designated by FEMA as a Special Flood Hazard Area, they are not at risk. However, flooding remains the most common natural disaster in the U.S., with more than a quarter of all flood claims from areas that are not considered high-risk.