Damage from water that rises from the bottom up—such as flooding from a heavy rainfall or hurricane—isn’t covered by homeowners insurance. But your policy will likely cover damage if your water heater leaks or a water pipe inside your house bursts.
The National Flood Insurance Program is the primary provider of flood coverage, although some private insurers also provide flood insurance. The NFIP provides about $1.3 trillion in coverage for more than 5 million policyholders in 22,500 communities across the nation. The cost of an NFIP policy varies, depending on risk, but averages about $700 a year. A policy from a private insurer averages $1,050 a year, according to Policygenius, an insurance marketplace.
NFIP recently released new flood insurance rating procedures that are designed to provide a better measure of the risk of flooding in particular areas. The new methodology, which went into effect in October, will lower premiums for about one-fourth of existing policyholders, while more than 3.8 million will see rates increase.
This story is from the December 2021 edition of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
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This story is from the December 2021 edition of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
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