Flood facts from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
Floods are the nation’s most common and costly natural disaster and cause millions of dollars in damage every year. Jefferson Parish had 41 flooding events from 1996 - 2016 and Orleans Parish had 42 during the same time period.
Homeowners and renters insurance does not typically cover flood damage.
Floods can happen anywhere - and usually do. More than 20% of flood claims came from dwellings outside the high risk flood zones.
Most federal disaster assistance comes in the form of low-interest disaster loans from U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and you must pay these loans back. FEMA offers disaster grants that don't need to be paid back, but is often much less than what is needed to recover. A claim against your flood insurance policy could and often does, provide more money for recovery than you could qualify for from FEMA or the SBA, and better yet, you don't have to pay it back.
You may be required to have flood insurance. Congress mandated that federally regulated or insured lenders require flood insurance on mortgaged properties that are located in areas at high risk of flooding. Your mortgage lender may require flood insurance even if it's not in a high risk flood area.
Flood insurance delivers more: Check our state's flood history with FEMA's interactive data visualization tool. Move your cursor over each parish to see how many flooding events have occurred in your area since 1996. The tool allows you to compare the money FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have provided in terms of federal disaster aid after Presidential Disaster Declarations to the amount the National Flood Insurance program has paid to its policyholders. It's easy to see that having flood insurance provides a lot more help for recovery.
What you should know to get the coverage you need.
Does our community participate in the National Flood Insurance Program? Flood insurance from the NFIP is only available in participating communities, but most communities do participate. Your agent can tell you if your state and community participate, or you can look it up online in the Community Status Book.
What flood zone do I live in? What is my property's flood risk?
Is flood insurance mandatory for my property? Will the lender require it?
Do I qualify for a Preferred Risk Policy?
Does my community participate in the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System (CRS)? If so, does my home qualify for a CRS rating discount?
What will and won't be covered?
Will the federal government back my flood insurance policy?
How much coverage should I get for my building and for my contents?
How can I reduce the cost of my flood insurance?
Will my policy provide Replacement Cost Value or Actual Cash Value—and what's the difference between the two?