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New Flood Insurance Rate Maps Become Effective On June 18
Purchase Flood Insurance Now To Save On Potential Rate Increases
June 13, 2007
Residents and business owners have only a couple of days remaining to purchase flood insurance at the best possible premiums before new Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Harris County become official on June 18.
Purchase Flood Insurance Now, Save Money Later
Purchasing flood insurance before June 18 will allow people to "grandfather" their existing floodplain status and pay lower premiums for flood insurance. Once the maps become official on June 18 residents and business owners whose properties are categorized in higher-risk flood zones on the new maps may pay higher rates. Buying flood insurance now will not only reduce flood insurance costs, but a grandfathered floodplain status can be transferred to future owners of a property provided coverage doesn't lapse.
Who Needs Flood Insurance? EVERYONE!
Despite a person's location on the new floodplain maps, the Harris County Flood Control District strongly encourages all Harris County residents to have flood insurance.
"While many are required by mortgage and lending companies to have flood insurance, the Flood Control District urges all area residents to have flood insurance," said Mike Talbott, director of the District. "The reason is simple: You don't have to be in a mapped floodplain to flood. This area is flat and takes a while to drain. The clay soils don't absorb a lot of stormwater. Above all, being near the Gulf of Mexico makes us highly vulnerable to hurricanes, tropical storms and slow moving storm systems that dump torrential amounts of rain in short periods of time that can overwhelm our drainage systems."
Floodplain Maps Don't Show ALL of The Risks From Flooding
Many people may not know that Flood Insurance Rate Maps only depict flooding risks from streams and bayous spilling their banks during certain, theoretical storms. The maps do not show flooding risks from water trying to reach the bayous, from roadside ditches or underground storm sewers exceeding their capacity, or from floods greater than the 1% (100-year) and 0.2% (500-year) floods depicted on floodplain maps. Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 is a good example of this, as it was literally "Off the Charts" in measures of magnitude.
Sharing Responsibilities For Protection
"Especially in Texas you can't predict when and where it's going to flood. We've experienced flooding in every month of the year," said David Passey, FEMA spokesman. "There are a lot of things that government can do to reduce people's flood risks, such as building projects that widen and deepen bayous, excavating detention basins and buying out homes hopelessly deep in the floodplain. However, residents must assume responsibility as well, and that means having flood insurance to protect themselves financially."
Because homeowners' insurance does NOT cover flooding, flood insurance is the best way to recover financially from a flood.
View The Maps And Check Your Status Now
Property owners can learn their floodplain status on the new Flood Insurance Rate Maps by visiting the Tropical Storm Allison Recovery Project website www.tsarp.org or by calling 713-722-7227.
For inquiries about obtaining flood insurance, call your local insurance agent or visit the National Flood Insurance Program website at www.floodsmart.gov or call 888-379-9531.
Contact The TSARP Team
If you have questions about TSARP or the new FEMA Revised Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps, you may contact the TSARP team via e-mail, or call the TSARP hotline at 713-722-7227.
> Learn more about the Tropical Storm Allison Recovery Project
> Visit FloodSmart.gov, the official website of the National Flood Insurance Program
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