Flood Insurance: What’s Covered and What Isn’t

This is a helpful guide I took from FloodSmart.gov, the website for FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program:

• The insured building and its foundation
• Electrical and plumbing systems
• Central air conditioning equipment, furnaces and water heaters
• Refrigerators, cooking stoves and built-in appliances such as dishwashers
• Permanently installed carpeting over unfinished flooring
• Permanently installed paneling, wallboard, bookcases and cabinets
• Window blinds
• Detached garages (up to 10 percent of building property coverage); detached buildings (other than garages) require a separate building property policy
• Debris removal

 

• Personal belongings, such as clothing, furniture and electronic equipment
• Curtains
• Portable and window air conditioners
• Portable microwave ovens and portable dishwashers
• Carpets that are not included in building coverage
• Clothing washers and dryers
• Food freezers and the food in them
• Certain valuable items such as original artwork and furs (up to $2,500)

 

• Damage caused by moisture, mildew or mold that could have been avoided by the property owner
• Currency, precious metals and valuable papers such as stock certificates
• Property and belongings outside of an insured building such as trees, plants, wells, septic systems, walks, decks, patios, fences, seawalls, hot tubs and swimming pools
• Living expenses such as temporary housing
• Financial losses caused by business interruption or loss of use of insured property
• Most self-propelled vehicles such as cars, including their parts (see Section IV.5 in your policy)

 

Coverage is limited in basements regardless of zone or date of construction. It’s also limited in areas below the lowest elevated floor, depending on the flood zone and date of construction. These areas include:

• Basements
• Crawl spaces under an elevated building
• Enclosed areas beneath buildings elevated on full-story foundation walls that are sometimes referred to as “walkout basements”
• Enclosed areas under other types of elevated buildings

 

Make sure to ask your agent for additional details on your basement coverage.