12 Aug Friendswood Texas Flood Insurance
Friendswood, Texas has a few positive things working to its favor. First, the name: a place called Friendswood must be friendly, right? Second, its location puts it adjacent to the big city amenities found in Houston, but still far enough away that it can maintain a small town feel. Yes, there are many positive things about Friendswood, but there is one thing that threatens the city. Not unlike many other Texas cities located along the Gulf Coast, Friendswood is routinely threatened by floodwaters.
Friendswood is located on a flat piece of land that has very hard, dense clay soil as its foundation. Normal rainfall can be easily handled by proper drainage systems, but tropical storms and hurricanes, as well as heavy rain from inland storms can quickly inundate any man made system. The city has a long history of being affected by such events, and many residents can easily recall a time when their property was subjected to floodwaters. This information alone would be enough to convince many city residents to purchase a flood insurance policy.
| Know Your Floodways
Areas along Mary’s Creek, Chigger Creek, Cowards Creek, and Clear Creek are most likely to be subjected to floodwaters from heavy rain.
However, remember that in 1979 over 75% of Friendswood properties were flooded by Tropical Storm. Floodwaters don’t stop at some imaginary line on a map! |
But others living in Friendswood may not be so quick to purchase a policy. After all, property owners already pay many expenses to maintain their buildings and land, including insurance premiums. This is certainly true, but there are two other factors to consider when using this line of reasoning. First, even the best standard homeowners and business insurance policies do not cover flood-related damages. Second, as little as one inch of water can result in $10,000-20,000 in damages, depending on the size and contents of the home or business. The added expense of a premium seems small in comparison to having to pay out-of-pocket to repair damages that are uncovered.
For the Friendswood resident who is looking for an insurance policy, there are two programs that will provide adequate flood insurance policies. The first is the National Flood Insurance Program. The NFIP is a federally-funded program that provides flood insurance to all property owners in the United States. Individuals can purchase policies from the NFIP through local, regional, and national insurance carriers. A second option is the National Catastrophe Flood Insurance Program. The NCIP is a newer program on the market and is currently available in a limited number of states, Texas included. NCIP is also privately underwritten, so the policies offered through them are sometimes more comprehensive or provide more coverage than the NFIP might.
Once the decision has been made to purchase a flood insurance policy has been made, it is important to begin the process as soon as possible. Both the NFIP and the NCIP have waiting periods between the times the policies are approved and when they are activated. NFIP customers must wait thirty days for activation, fifteen for NCIP customers. Two to four weeks may not sound like a long time to wait, but a lot can happen in that time frame, including flooding!
Flood insurance is an important issue to Friendswood property owners and is a decision that should be made in a timely fashion. The peace of mind that comes with knowing a property is financially protected against high flood damage costs is worth the cost of the premium alone. Contact us now for more information about the Friendswood Texas flood insurance.
All information is general in nature and is intended to provide guidance only. It is up to you to request specific coverage options, the agency and agent do not bear this responsibility. Always read the policy if there is a questions about coverage or a claim. If any information herein should conflict with your actual policy’s specific language, the policy language will be controlling.
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