Flooding can happen to you, warns PIACT

HARTFORD, Conn.—When you think of flooding, you probably envision rivers bursting free of their banks or hurricane-spurred waves crashing well beyond the usual shoreline. But that’s simply not always true. Floods can happen anywhere, anytime—not just near the coast, lakes and rivers, warns the Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut Inc.

      Homes in high-risk flood areas are not the only ones who need flood insurance. Approximately one-in-four of all flood disasters occur in areas with low to moderate risk of flooding.

      Springtime is prime time for flooding. Torrential rain, snowmelt and mudslides can all cause flood losses. “Unless you have flood insurance, you probably are not covered for these potential catastrophes,” says Augusto Russell, CIC, PIACT president. “Generally, coverage provided by a standard home or business policy does not include damage caused by flooding or mudslides. This type of damage could be extremely destructive to your property and without the proper insurance coverage, you could be devastated financially.”

      You can help yourself prepare for flooding by heeding storm warnings and follow any evacuation procedures such as boarding up windows, shutting of utilities and preparing an emergency kit that contains food and water, a portable can opener, clothing, blankets, flashlights, first-aid supplies, battery-operated radio and extra batteries.

      Of course, no preventative measures offer complete protection. The best defense always will be the right insurance coverage. “With very few exceptions, such as a lender requiring coverage on a brand new house, you must wait 30 days before coverage becomes effective.

Contact your professional, independent insurance agent to get the coverage you need to protect you from the devastation flooding can cause,” says Russell. “An important fact to remember is flooding can occur any place, at any time.”

      PIACT is a trade association representing professional, independent insurance agencies, brokerages and their employees throughout the state.

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