Is it Water ot Flood Damage?

5/12/2023 (Permalink)

We're here to help you 24/7/

Mitigation and restoration after water damage occurs in your property is not always an easy task to understand. After water causes damage, an insurance claim should be made as soon as possible.

Filing an insurance due to water damage can be complex. The first step is knowing the difference between a water damage and flood damage claim. This information is important to the homeowner because it determines what is covered and what is not.

The distinction between a flood damage claim and a water damage claim is best be defined by (FEMA) the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood definition. According to FEMA, a flood is a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres and two or more properties of normally dry land.

To make it easy, if the water that caused the damage occurred from a natural source and any neighbors are experiencing the same water issues, its generally flood damage. According to FEMA, flood damage can only be caused by overflow of inland or tidal waters, unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source, mudflow, or collapse of land along the shore of a lake or similar body of water as a result of erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water exceeding anticipated cyclical levels that result in a flood.

If a flood has damaged your home, it is important to know if you currently have flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program, because homeowners insurance companies do not offer coverage on flood damage. Having flood insurance is extremely beneficial to homeowners who think they might even have the slightest chance of being affected by a flood.

Everything from the actual building and its foundation to the refrigerator and the food inside of it is covered by flood insurance and will be taken into consideration when claims are filed. Flood insurance does cover basements and areas below the lowest elevated floor, but it depends on the flood zone and the date of construction. It is important to remember that flood insurance does not cover the sentimental value of any property, so be sure to remove any precious items such as photos, documents, or personal items that cannot be replaced as quickly as possible.

When water damage occurs in your home, did not originate from a natural source, and is not affecting any surrounding buildings, a water damage claim is necessary. Circumstances such as  overflowing bathtubs, broken toilets, broken pipes, and burst water mains are all grounds for water damage claims that should be filed by contacting your homeowners insurance company.

Working through the process of filing both a water damage claim and a flood damage claim can be confusing, and seem overwhelming. 

If water damage does occur, we can help and can clean and restore your home to make it "Like it never even happened." Call us 24/7.