Do I Need Flood Insurance?

It is the gap that ruins people every single year: a flood hits, and they discover their homeowners insurance does not cover a dime of it. Flooding needs its own policy, and whether you need one matters more than most homeowners realize.

Your home policy does not cover floods

Burn this one into memory. **Standard homeowners insurance excludes flooding entirely.** Rising water from heavy rain, an overflowing river, storm surge, a flash flood, all of it sits outside your policy. The only way to be covered is a separate flood policy, most often through the National Flood Insurance Program, though private flood insurers exist too.

"Low risk" is not "no risk"

People in low-risk flood zones often skip it, and that is exactly where a lot of the uncovered losses happen. A large share of flood claims come from properties **outside** high-risk zones. A clogged storm drain, a freak downpour, or a nearby creek jumping its banks does not check your flood map first. Low risk usually means cheaper flood insurance, not a reason to go without.

When you likely need it

If your mortgage is in a high-risk zone, your lender probably requires it. Beyond that, strongly consider it if you have a basement, live near any water, sit downhill from anything, or simply could not absorb tens of thousands of dollars in water damage. One catch: new flood policies often carry a **30-day waiting period**, so buying one as a storm rolls in does not help.

Find out where you stand

The first step is confirming for certain that your current policy excludes flooding, and most people are not certain. MyPolicyShield reads your homeowners policy and confirms exactly what water damage it does and does not cover, so you know whether you need a separate flood policy.

Find your flood gap before the water finds it for you.