Category: Flood Insurance

Most homeowners insurance policies don’t include flood insurance, so it can be difficult to determine if it’s a logical or wise investment. Speaking with one of our Austin, TX, team members at Armadillo Insurance Agency is a great way to determine if it’s a good investment. Our team is committed to helping people make educated decisions about insurance.

What is flood insurance?

Flood insurance can be purchased through the government-based National Flood Insurance Program or NFIP and private insurance companies. It’s designed to cover any losses as a result of flooding to the structure of your home, its walls, interior, exterior, your personal belongings, and more. A flood insurance policy covers any damage that results from flooding. This coverage also includes cleaning your home and its surrounding land, electrical, plumbing, flooring, basements, and more. Flood insurance also covers other structures or dwellings on your property.

I don’t live in a flood zone. Do I need flood insurance?

Believe it or not, annually, flooding occurs in many non-flood-zoned areas and moderate or low-risk areas. As a result, flood insurance is a wise investment. Natural disasters are unpredictable and hard to anticipate. It’s often better to be prepared for a disaster rather than unprepared. Flood insurance is that extra layer of peace of mind that can be key if you’re faced with an unexpected natural disaster like flooding. However, an insurance agent can help you decide on investing in flood insurance. If you have questions, call us. We’d be happy to answer them. 

 

Armadillo Insurance Agency is a skilled insurance agent located near Austin, TX that can provide you with a myriad of different coverage options. For example, we can help you identify what types of flood insurance policies make more sense for you and will work hard to ensure you get the help you need.

Assess Your Danger

When you move to a new area with a potentially higher flood risk, make sure that you assess your risk. You can check out various flood maps or talk to your local authorities to learn more about flood patterns. In this way, you can get the insight you need to manage this issue. Just as importantly, you can identify a policy that fits into your home’s needs and which provides the support you deserve.

Talk With Your Agent

If you’re not sure what kind of policy makes sense for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to your agent to learn more. Our team can help you identify a flood policy that will cover your needs. Typically, we’ll start by doing a quick assessment of your case and ask you questions such as:

• How much does your property cost, and how much protection do you need?
• When was the last time this property flooded, and did it reach your home?
• Are you comfortable providing a list of items you want covered by our policy?
• Is it possible to identify what type of flood dangers you might expect on your property?

Get Flood Insurance Today

There’s no reason to ignore the danger of floods, especially if you move to a new area with a real risk of floods. Our team at Armadillo Insurance Agency can help Austin, TX residents get the policies that they need to be safe. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.

Flood insurance is designed to pay for the repair or replacement of your home’s exterior and interior, all the structures on your property, and more. Many people who live in areas that flood invest in this form of insurance because homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding. Often, if a person lives in an area where the potential threat of flooding is elevated, flood insurance is a wise investment. Our team at the Armadillo Insurance Agency is invested in educating Austin, TX residents about the benefits of flood insurance. 

What is flood insurance?

In short, flood insurance provides financial compensation for the repair, restoration, or rebuilding of flood-damaged properties. Clothing, furniture, and other personal belongings are covered by flood insurance. Flood insurance is designed to completely restore, repair, and or rebuild a house after a flood has occurred. Unlike homeowners’ insurance, flood insurance is only designed to pay for the repair, replacement, or rebuilding of properties damaged by flooding. An insurance agent reviews topographical maps and other tools to discover floodplains and other areas where flooding could take place and can help determine if flood insurance is a wise investment.

Will flood insurance cover the repair of my flood-damaged car?

No. Flood damage is designed to cover the interior and exterior of your home’s structure, your foundation, all of your belongings, and all the other structures on your property. However, flood insurance doesn’t cover any flood damage your car sustains from a flood. Instead, your car’s flood damage is covered by your comprehensive auto insurance policy.

If you have more questions regarding what’s covered by flood damage, call us at Armadillo Insurance Agency in Austin, TX. We’d be happy to answer your questions. 

Those that are living in the Austin, TX area will have various insurance needs. For a property owner, one type of insurance that should be considered is getting a flood insurance plan. This is a unique type of coverage that helps to mitigate the costs if your home is damaged by a flood. There are various great reasons to maintain a flood insurance plan. 

Meet Insurance Obligations

One of the reasons you may need to get a flood insurance plan is so you can meet the insurance obligations set by your lender or home association. If you have taken out a loan or are part of an association, you will need to meet their insurance standards. If you are in a flood zone, this will often require you to carry flood coverage. With a full flood insurance plan, you will be in good standing with this requirement. 

Protect Property

Even if you have no such requirements, it is still a good idea to get a flood insurance plan. When you do have this coverage, it will give support if your property is damaged in a flood. If you do not have this insurance, you will have to pay for the costs out of pocket. As they can be quite significant, having this insurance if you are at risk of a flood is very prudent. 

Armadillo Insurance Agency Is Here To Help

There are plenty of situations when someone in the Austin, TX area will need to have a proper flood insurance plan. When you are ready to start looking for coverage in this area, it would be a great idea to call our team with the Armadillo Insurance Agency. If you are shopping for coverage, our team can help you evaluate your situation to determine your coverage needs and give the guidance necessary to build a new policy. 

One of the most common misconceptions about home insurance is that it covers flooding. Home insurance may not cover the flooding caused by heavy amounts of rain or rivers or creeks spilling over their banks. In order to protect your home and belongings from this type of event, you need to purchase a flood insurance policy. Here at Armadillo Insurance Agency, serving the greater Austin, TX area, we want to help you select the right policy.

Here are a few of the factors you should be considering as you go about buying flood insurance. 

Your Home’s Flood Risk Designation

One of the first things that you need to consider when you are looking to purchase flood insurance is your home’s flood risk designation. The higher your flood risk designation is, the more likely your home may flood, and the more costly flood insurance will cost. An insurance agent can work with you to determine the flood risk designation for your home. 

What the Flood Insurance Policy Covers

The second important factor that you need to consider when purchasing flood insurance is what exactly the policy you are buying covers. Flood insurance may be designated as building only, meaning it only covers your home, or it may be designated as building and contents coverage, meaning it covers your home, as well as the contents inside of your home. 

Get The Right Coverage For Your Needs

Flood insurance helps to protect your home and possibly your belongings in the event heavy rains cause flooding in your area, causing flood damage to your home. This is not something that traditional home insurance policies cover. If you are looking for a home insurance policy, the team at Armadillo Insurance Agency, serving the greater Austin, TX area, can help you. Call us now to obtain an estimate. 

If you live in an area that experiences frequent floods, getting a flood insurance policy is prudent. However, you should know there will be some wait time before the flood policy takes effect. The wait time will be between 14 and 30 days, depending on whether you obtained your flood coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or purchased a private policy.  

When Does My Flood Insurance Policy Go Into Effect? 

NFIP Wait Time

The wait time for the NFIP flood coverage to take effect is typically 30 days. However, some exceptions result in the waiver of the waiting period that you should know as an Austin, TX resident. These exceptions are;

• You buy new coverage or add to the existing flood policy due to a loan or mortgage

Banks traditionally require owners of mortgaged homes to get flood insurance, more so if the property is in a high-risk area. If you purchase flood insurance under this circumstance, you don’t have to wait 30 days for the coverage to become effective. 

• If your home sits on burned federal land

The damage that wildfires cause can also increase flood risk in the affected areas. If your home sits on federal land that has been affected by wildfire, you will have 60 days to apply for flood insurance and get a wait time waiver. 

• Your home was relocated to a special hazard zone

FEMA is responsible for assessing and establishing flood risk zones countrywide. If the area where your home sits is established to be a special hazard zone for floods by FEMA, you can purchase flood insurance with no wait periods. 

Private Policy Wait Time

The wait time for private flood policies is usually 10 to 14 days. At Armadillo Insurance Agency, we recommend that you confirm this with your insurer. Keep in mind that the wait time exceptions listed above also apply here. 

Call Armadillo Insurance Agency for expert insurance advice in Austin, TX.

You’ve likely heard of flood insurance, but might be unsure whether it is needed. Floods are the most commonly occurring natural disaster in the United States with only a few inches of water needed to cause extensive damage to your home and belongings. Flooding can be caused by a myriad of conditions including heavy rains, hurricanes, spring thaws, and the rapid accumulation of rain post wildfire. If your home is in a FEMA designated high-risk flood area and you have a mortgage on the property, then your lender is legally regulated to require that you carry flood insurance. 

Generally speaking, your homeowner’s insurance will not cover flood damage so you’ll need to purchase a separate policy. Flood insurance is issued via the National Flood Insurance Program and managed by FEMA or can be purchased via a private insurer. Moderate to low risk flood areas are designated via the letters B, C, and X on FEMA flood maps while high-risk flood areas begin with the letters A or V. 

Given that the risk of floods can change rapidly, FEMA works on an ongoing basis with communities around the United States to identify, map, and update flood risk. At Armadillo Insurance Agency in Austin, TX, we’ll work diligently to help identify if flood insurance is required in your area. Additionally, even if flood insurance is not federally mandated, we’ll help outline the pros and cons of having the coverage so you can make an informed decision. Give us a call today to learn more and schedule an appointment with an insurance professional. 

Armadillo Insurance Agency provides coverage to the Austin, TX community. We help our clients find policies to protect their assets. We pride ourselves on offering the best customer service possible. We will help you assess your options and find coverage that aligns with your future.

Flood Insurance Guide To Help Texas Residents Find Coverage

As an Austin, TX resident, you are likely aware of the potential damage that flooding can cause. The South is prone to bouts of severe weather that could wipe out everything. In the aftermath of a hurricane, flooding may occur throughout the area. Consider the benefits of flood insurance. Flood insurance covers your property if it is damaged due to severe flooding in the area. Check to see if your home is included in a designated flood zone. Designated flood zones are areas that are likely to experience flooding at some point over a 12-month span. Even if your home isn’t a designated flood zone, Texas is home to unpredictable weather. Something could still happen when you least expect it, which is why flood insurance is an asset.

Keep in mind though that there is a difference between flood damage and other water damage. Flood damage is caused by an excess of water throughout the area. Your home may also be damaged due to drainage issues, a busted pipe, or a sewer backup. In most cases, flood insurance does not cover your home in these circumstances. Research the policy carefully before making a decision.

Armadillo Insurance Agency Can Help You Protect Your Assets

Visit our website to learn more information about flood insurance.