Stockton California Flood Insurance

When talking about natural disasters in California, it’s easy to rattle off a list that is often headed by earthquakes, wildfires, and mudslides. But in some areas, such as Stockton, California, other threats such as flooding pose a major threat. In fact, city officials consider floods to be the natural disaster most likely to affect Stockton. For this reason, property owners within the city are strongly urged to consider purchasing flood insurance to protect themselves financially.

Several areas within Stockton’s city limits are considered Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). This means that properties in these areas have a one-in-four chance of flooding at least once during a thirty year period. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) take historical statistic and hydrologic data to determine where these SFHAs are, as well as the depth and likely cause of the floodwaters.

Any owners of property in Stockton’s SFHAs that are financed through the federal government are required to be covered by flood insurance policies. Owners of properties outside the SFHAs are not required to carry flood insurance, but it is important to remember that a line on a map does not protect against flooding. Areas outside the SFHA can still flood, and FEMA estimates that approximately twenty to twenty-five percent of their claims are filed for properties outside of a SFHA.

Property owners in Stockton who are not required to be covered by a flood insurance policy may waver in deciding whether or not to purchase a policy, many citing financial reasons. The premium for a policy may cost an additional several hundred dollars each year, a price that seems steep considering the relatively low chance that a flood would occur. However, it is important to remember that the cost of repairing and replacing flood-damaged properties and its contents can easily soar into the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. With this in mind, the several hundred dollars per year seems small in comparison.

There are two flood insurance providers for property owners in Stockton, California. The first is the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP has been around for a number of years, is government-funded, and has long been the only provider of flood insurance coverage. Stockton residents would be required to obtain several documents related to their properties elevation before the policy could be approved, and activation of the policy would occur thirty days after that approval.

A second option or Stockton residents is the newer, privately-insured National Catastrophe Flood Insurance Program (NCIP). The NCIP does not require elevation certificates and is activated fifteen days after approval. Generally speaking, the NCIP also offers more comprehensive coverage with higher coverage limits.

Regardless of which program a Stockton, California property owner may choose when selecting a flood insurance policy, the important thing is that a policy is chosen at all. Preparing for a flood by purchasing an appropriate policy will not only provide peace of mind to the property owner, it will provide financial protection against one of nature’s most unpredictable disasters. Contact us now for more information about the Stockton California 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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