Which flood insurance agency is the most helpful when it comes to really helping me with my flood insurance policy?

The Todd D. Tucker Agency. Please call  513-223-6947.

 

 

What is Flood Insurance versus Water Sewer Backup Coverage?

Water Sewer Backup coverage covers the backup of a sewer line, a sump pump, or a toilet. It is a separate mini policy that you purchase within your homeowners insurance policy. It cannot be purchased standalone. If you do not have this coverage and any of the above occurs, your homeowner’s policy will not cover that loss.
Flood insurance covers water coming into your home in all other ways. An example of one of the most common ways that I see is when water comes in to the basement via the basement garage.

 

 

What is the difference between a standard and a preferred risk policy?

If you are at low to moderate risk the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) provides lower-cost protection for homes and apartments. The areas that are considered low risk are floodplains B, C, or X, zones on a Flood Insurance Rate Map.

A standard or high-risk area is an area that has at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage. If you own a home own a business in an area with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders, you are required to buy flood insurance. They are shown on the flood maps as zones beginning with the letters A or V.

 

 

What is the Community Rating System (CRS)?

The National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.

As a result, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions meeting the three goals of the CRS:
1. Reduce flood damage to insurable property;
2. Strengthen and support the insurance aspects of the NFIP, and
3. Encourage a comprehensive approach to floodplain management.

 

 

How to I find out if my community is part of the NFIP Community Rating System (CRS)?

Click here to see if your community is part of the rating system.

 

 

If I have commercial property, what is covered?

At a high level, if there is physical damage to your commercial building or personal property “directly” caused by a flood, it is covered by your flood insurance policy. For example, damages caused by a sewer backup are covered if the backup is a direct result of flooding. As stated in an earlier answer, if the backup is caused by some other problem, that is considered water sewer backup coverage. Click here to get more detail on Flood Insurance Coverage on commercial property an NFIP standpoint.

 

 

What is the technical definition of a flood?

• Flood is defined as a general or temporary condition of partial or complete inundation

• Two or more acres of normally dry land area or

• Two or more properties (at least one of which is the flood policy holder’s property) from:

• Overflow of inland or tidal waters

  or Unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source

  or Mud-flow or Collapse or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or similar body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels.

 

 

How do I pay for a flood insurance policy?

In general, FEMA requires that you pay for the policy in full up front. However, since most policies are written through insurance companies, you pay using the following options:
Note: Some options may vary by insurance carrier.
• American Express
• Diners Club
• Discover Card
• Master Card
• Visa
• Electronic check
• Paper check in the mail
• Money order in the mail
• Your premium may be paid through an escrow account established by your mortgage lender, at your lender’s discretion. If your lender requires you to buy flood insurance and escrows for other types of insurance or taxes, they are required to also escrow flood insurance premium payments.
• If you are a large commercial enterprise seeking payment options, please call 513-223-6947.

 

 

If a lender is requiring that I get flood insurance, what should I do?

Please remember that a lender always had the option of requiring flood insurance. Under federal law, the purchase of flood insurance is mandatory for all federal or federally related financial assistance for the acquisition and/or construction of buildings in high-risk flood areas (Special Flood Hazard Areas or SFHAs). If the property is not in a high-risk area, but instead in a moderate-to-low risk area, federal law does not require flood insurance, but the lender can still require it. If you think that your property is in a low risk zone and the lender believes that it is in a high risk zone, call our office at 513-223-6947.

 

 

What is the difference between replacement cost (RC) and actual cost value (ACV)?

Your property will be reimbursed in one of two ways – RC or ACV. RC is simply putting your building back the way that it was at the time of the loss with the same like kind and quality. Actual cash value is the amount equal to the replacement cost minus depreciation of a damaged property at the time of the loss. It is the actual value for which the property could be sold, which is always less than what it would cost to replace it. If your property is reimbursed via RC, that means that at the time of the contract you agreed to purchase 80 percent or more of the replacement cost value of the property. For example, let’s say that the replacement cost of your home is $250,000. You would have to get a flood policy for $200,000 or more to get replacement cost coverage for your home. However, if at the time of the contract, you decided that it cost too much to buy $200,000 worth of insurance or more or you just could not afford it; instead, you bought $180,000 worth of coverage, then your property would be reimbursed at ACV. If you have other buildings on your property, they are reimbursed at ACV. All personal property is reimbursed at ACV. Most agents will ask you to sign a waiver stating that you understand that you were purchasing less than 80 percent of the value in today’s changing climate.