Flood Insurance In Houston and Harris

Anyone familiar with Houston knows that flooding is the Achilles’ heel to an otherwise great city. This post is created by Chavana Insurance to provide resources about flooding in Houston and Harris County to our homeowner’s and flood insurance clients.  This post also explains mitigating the risk of a flood in Houston, TX and Harris County through Flood Insurance. To buy flood insurance or to get Flood Insurance Rates call our office at 713-979-2941. We have licensed flood insurance agents ready to assist.  To learn about floods and resources in Houston, keep reading.

Risk of Flooding In Harris County

The best time to evaluate your home’s risk of flooding is when your buy the property.  However, you should check out the floodplain related to your home every so often, since the flood map can change.  The Harris County Flood Mapping tool is one of the best resources to evaluate your home’s risk of flooding.  This map is a tool only.  It is an attempt to provide citizens a way to have easy access to the federal map created by FEMA, which is used to set rates for flood insurance. This Harris County flood map  is not the ultimate authority on flood zones, since it is an attempt to mimic the federal map, which IS the ultimate authority for the purposes of flood insurance rates.  When you type the subject address into the upper left-hand corner, you will be able to determine the floodplain for the property. The risk associated with each floodplain is further explained in the website’s FAQ’s.  You can mitigate the risk of flooding by purchasing flood insurance in Houston and Harris County, which is discussed later in the post or you can just call 713-979-2941 for a flood insurance quote.

Weathering Floods In Houston, Texas

If you are weathering a storm, and trying to get information on whether your property will flood, consider accessing the Harris County Flood Warning System.  Hover your mouse over the location closest to the subject property (see pic on right).  An option for more information will appear.  Click that option.  You will be able to see the rainfall at that location, and you can adjust the time period to review the last few hours or the last few days.  For example, the Aldine rain gauge shows that during Hurricane Harvey, 8.8 inches fell on August 27, 2017; 16.48 inches fell on August 28, 2017; 6.44 inches fell on August 29, 2017; 3.12 inches fell on August 30, 2017.

The rain level is important to get a feel for the rain trend.  Flood insurance is generally not available during heavy rain events.  In fact, with few exceptions, most people must wait thirty days after their purchase before the flood insurance becomes effective. This rule exists because many people intend to buy flood insurance right before a flood occurs.  There are some exceptions. For example, home buyers who are required by a mortgage company to purchase flood insurance may avoid the thirty-day wait period.

However, flooding often occurs in Houston as a result of overflowing bayous. Once you click the more information tab, you can click a tab in the upper left-hand corner called stream elevation (see pic on left). The higher the stream elevation goes, the more likely surrounding properties are to flood.  You can monitor stream elevation to approximate how quickly water will rise or fall around your property.

Disclaimer: For many reasons, you should not base potentially life-threatening and property-destructive decisions on these tools. These tools are provided for general flood education and information to the public. These tools do not account for the particular elevation of your property; they could be inaccurate etc.  Texas common sense should tell you to avoid making life-altering decisions regarding your life and property based on a couple of websites.

Flood insurance in Harris County, Texas can be purchased by calling 713-979-2941.

Driving After Floods in Houston – Harris County

Flood insurance policies do not generally cover damage to autos. However, comprehensive auto policies generally do cover flood damage to autos.  Even so, driving after a flood should be planned. The Texas Department of Transportation maintains a website on street closures in Houston and Harris County.  You can even map a route between two destination. Simply click on the car to enter the drive-to address.  There are multiple smart phone apps that can help determine traffic and flooding conditions on Houston streets.  Some apps even allow you to view the streets you intend to traverse before you even leave home. While auto flood claims do not impact rates for Houston flood insurance, they do impact rates for comprehensive auto insurance.

Flood Insurance in Houston, Texas and Harris County

Call Chavana Insurance at 713-979-2941 for a flood insurance quote. The vast majority of flood insurance policies are sold through FEMA-backed policies. At the time of this post, private flood coverage is starting to develop, but the quotes that Chavana Insurance has done through privately-backed insurance policies have proved inappropriate.

Since FEMA backs the policies, the prices from agent to agent generally should not differ.  Differences in prices sometimes occur through differences in coverage amounts and deductibles, but you should generally be able to get the same price from different agents.  Flood insurance should be purchased in Houston, Katy, Spring, Humble and Pasadena.

Elevation certificates are sometimes required and sometimes desirable.  Elevation certificates determine how high or low a property is compared to the flood line or Base Flood Elevation. In some areas, an elevation certificate is required in order to provide a flood insurance quote. Even if not required, and elevation certificate may lower (or raise) your rates, depending on the findings. Google elevation certificate to higher a surveyor to do an elevation certificate.

It is important to know that a flood insurance policy can cover a building only or contents only or both. Make sure your flood insurance policy covers what you intend to cover. Call Chavana Insurance at 713-979-2941 for a flood insurance quote.

Flood Insurance Can Cover

• Your Building Structure (home or commercial) With FEMA Flood Insurance
• Personal Contents With Flood Insurance Rates Often Adjusted To Reflect The Coverage
• Other Structures Like Detached Garages If You Buy Separate Coverage-Make Sure To Tell Your Flood Insurance Agent