Feeding Hills, Massachusetts

... Public information statement...

The National Weather Service has declared March 15 to 19 flood
safety awareness week. The National Weather Service in Taunton MA will
feature a different educational topic each day during the awareness
week. Today's topic... determining flood risk and flood insurance.

What is flood insurance?
In 1968, Congress created the National flood insurance
program... nfip... in response to the rising cost of taxpayer funded
disaster relief for flood victims and the increasing amount of damage
caused by floods.

Why do I need flood insurance?
Flood losses are not covered by your homeowners insurance policy. Local
flooding can happen in all parts of the country at almost any time of
the year. Flooding causes more damage in the United States than any
other weather related event, an average of 4.6 billion dollars a year in the
past 20 years.

How do I obtain a flood insurance policy?
You can Purchase National flood insurance from private insurance
companies and agents. In fact, you may be able to Purchase it with a
credit card. Currently, there are over 100 insurance companies that
sell National flood insurance coverage, in addition to some 60
thousand independent insurance agents.

If the seller of the property has flood insurance coverage on the
building... that policy can be assigned to the buyer at the time of
closing. If the mortgage company requires flood insurance as a
condition of the loan... the lender may escrow flood insurance premiums
... Making it easy to ensure that you will not get caught without
flood insurance when a flood threatens your home.

Who can Purchase flood insurance?
Anyone in a community that participates in the National flood insurance
program can Purchase building and... or contents coverage... with a few
exceptions. Coastal barrier resources system areas... otherwise protected
areas... and buildings principally below ground or entirely over water
are not eligible for National flood insurance.