By admin As rounds of atmospheric rivers get ready to drench the Sacramento region, people are encouraged to take precautionary measures.
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Some may be checking their existing flood insurance policies or wondering what they can do to protect their home.
There are many reasons why Sacramento-area property owners should carry and keep their flood insurance up to date.
What to know about levees
The Sacramento area is extremely flood-prone.
Sacramento exists at the crossing of two rivers, the American and the Sacramento. According to the City, the surrounding flat floodplain means that flooding during heavy rains is always a possibility, even in places protected by levees.
Levees are ridges built along coasts or waterways to prevent flooding. A significant portion of Sacramento is protected by levees, but that doesn’t mean the flood risk in those areas is zero.
However, “levees do not guarantee your safety,” according to the City’s flood preparedness page, since during violent storms they can collapse or overflow.
You can look to see if your Sacramento home is protected by levees on the FEMA website.
What to know about flood insurance
According to the California Department of Insurance, standard homeowner’s and commercial insurance policies exclude flood damage.
If you do purchase a flood insurance policy, it will, in most cases, take effect 30 days after purchase.
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Additionally, according to the City of Sacramento, renters may not be covered by their managed property’s own flood insurance if their belongings are damaged.
Standard renter’s insurance also does not cover flood damage from outside sources. So while damage from a burst pipe is usually covered, damage from floodwater isn’t.
Both renters and property owners can purchase flood insurance from the federal National Flood Insurance Program or from private insurers.
According to the Sacramento Country Department of Water Resources, residents who live within a Special Flood Hazard area can receive a 40% discount on flood insurance.
That’s because Sacramento County is considered Class 2 in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Community Rating System, a voluntary program for communities that exceed FEMA floodplain management standards. The system “rewards communities with discounted flood insurance premiums,” noted the department on social media.
You can determine if you live in a Special Flood Hazard area by inputting your address on the FEMA website. Flood insurance in these areas is mandatory.
You can also contact the County and the City of Sacramento for information about commonly flooded areas and flood prevention at [email protected] or [email protected].
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