Rain in drought-stricken areas may seem like a good thing. But dry land is incapable of easily absorbing excess rainfall—which actually increases flood risk for your clients.
Even though flooding can happen at any time of year, the West Coast is more susceptible to flooding from late October through March, when the area receives the majority of its yearly rainfall.
December rains have already led to widespread flooding in California, resulting in the evacuation of nearly 1,000 homes and the closing of several major highways. Heavy rain on land that is too dry or barren—often caused by drought or wildfires—can lead to flash floods or mudflows. Without flood insurance, your clients affected by these flood events could face expensive repair bills not covered by their homeowners insurance policy.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center U.S. Winter Outlook for 2015 indicates that seasonal rains could improve drought conditions in some portions of the United States. And when it rains, your clients should be covered for flood damage.
Remind your clients that the drought doesn’t remove their flood risk because risk isn’t based on flood history alone—it also factors in rainfall, river flow, topography and changes resulting from recent building and development.
Now is the time to have the flood talk with your clients in order to help them understand their flood risks and the importance of purchasing a flood insurance policy. Start by watching this new video to understand the importance of having the flood talk to help you build your book of business.
To help explain these risks of flooding to your clients, FloodSmart offers several tools and resources:
Find these resources to help explain risk and sell flood insurance policies at Agents.FloodSmart.gov.
FloodSmart is the official website of the NFIP.
