• Federal Alliance for Safe Homes

• Federal Emergency Management Agency

• Federal Government Information for Consumers

• Florida Department of Insurance

• Florida Government site "MyFlorida.com"

• Insurance Information Institute

• Institute for Business and Home Safety

• Florida Insurance Guaranty Association (FIGA)

• Kelly Blue Book (new & used car values)

• National Hurricane Center

• National Flood insurance Program (NFIP)

• NOAA National Weather Service

• Smart Vent (Foundation Flood/Air vents)

• The Disaster Center Flood Page

• The Engineered Wood Association (Shutter plans, etc.)

• The Weather Channel

• Websites for Homeowner Associations

Did you know ...?

• Floods and flash floods happen in all 50 states.
• Everyone lives in a flood zone. (For more information, visit the Frequently Asked Questions about Flood Zones)
• Homeowners insurance doesn't cover flood damage.
• If you live in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) or high risk area, your mortgage lender requires you to have flood insurance. (To find out if you're in an SFHA, visit What's Your Flood Risk?)
• Just an inch of water can cause costly damage to your property.
• Flash floods often bring walls of water 10 to 20 feet high.
• A car can easily be carried away by just two feet of floodwater.
• Hurricanes, winter storms and snow melt are common (but often overlooked) causes of flooding.
• New land development can increase flood risk, especially if the construction changes natural runoff paths.

• Federal disaster assistance is usually a loan that must be paid back with interest. For a $50,000 loan at 4% interest, your monthly payment would be around $240 a month ($2,880 a year) for 30 years. Compare that to a $100,000 flood insurance premium, which is about $400 a year ($33 a month).
• If you live in a low- to moderate-risk community and are eligible for the Preferred Risk Policy, your flood insurance premium may be as low as $112 a year … including coverage for your property's contents.
• You are eligible to purchase flood insurance as long as your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Check the Community Status Book to see if your community is already an NFIP partner.
• It takes 30 days after purchase for a policy to take effect, so it's important to buy insurance before the floodwaters start to rise.
• All claims and expenses of the NFIP program are funded by insurance premiums, not tax dollars.