If you think your house is only at risk for flooding every ‘100-years’, then think again. As written in the ClaimsJournal the term 100-year flood can be misleading.
The U.S. government began using the term in the 1960s to describe a flood that has a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year, not necessarily a chance of happening only once a century. It’s a statistical probability – that can change over time.
Just as we have recently seen in Houston; they had a deadly flood occur only eleven months ago. Last week, the city had another.
These statistics don’t take into account conditions that can alter the outlook, including changing climate or the effects of El Nino or La Nina. In addition, consider an urban environment that is developing, such as adding parking lots, you can quickly turn a 100-year event into a 70-year event because of the impervious surfaces. Asphalt doesn’t soak up rain water; it just sends it somewhere else, such as into the house next door. When you add in natural climate cycles, the results are further skewed.
Bringing this a little closer to home, according to a study conducted at Rutgers University, flood risks are rising along the New York and New Jersey coast. The study found that a storm that would have previously occurred once in seven generations is now occurring twice in a generation.
These is some pretty alarming information. How are you going to protect yourself? If you don’t have flood insurance this may be a good time to consider purchasing it. Contact LG Insurance Agency, your local Jersey Shore insurance agent. We can help you learn more about your flood insurance options to protect you and your home.
All content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only. Topics discussed on this blog relate to insurance products and issues in a general application, and are not an offer of insurance, a guarantee of coverage, or applicable to specific and individual circumstances. Contact LG Insurance Agency for questions and information specific to your insurance needs.
