A few reasons why flood insurance is not just for a rainy day; Guest Column

The headlines from Houston speak to hard-hit neighborhoods inundated with Hurricane Harvey floodwaters and untold numbers of homes with no flood insurance outside of recognized floodplain areas.

Former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Craig Fugate stated, "The grim reality is: What is next for these people, the ones who don't have flood insurance? That's like waking up one morning and finding your whole bank account is wiped out and you have no recourse even though you still have a mortgage."

As Fugate explains, Congress didn't design FEMA to fix that.

Congress will soon be considering renewal of the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, which expires at the end of this month. More than 35,000 claims have been already filed in Texas. Reuters reported on Wednesday that early estimates suggest Harvey will cost in the range of $30 billion.

As a resident of Anne Arundel County with a home outside of the floodplain - but near enough to Glebe Bay for me to have herons, turtles and cattails in view of my back deck - flood insurance was a wise investment. During a January Weather It Together workshop hosted by FEMA, the City of Annapolis and the Maryland Department of the Environment, I learned that flood insurance is available for properties outside recognized floodplain areas. According to MDE's Kevin Wagner, "Floods don't follow map boundaries. Even if your structure is located outside a mapped floodplain, you should strongly consider purchasing flood insurance."

The NFIP provides affordable insurance (my coverage costs only $430 per year) to cover flood damage typically not covered by homeowners and renters insurance. According to the NFIP, more than 20 percent of flood claims come from properties outside the high-risk flood zone and flood insurance can pay regardless of whether or not there is a presidential disaster declaration.

What is a flood? As defined by the NFIP it is "(1) A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of two or more properties (at least one of which is your property) from (a.) overflow of inland or tidal waters; (b.) unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source; or (c.) mudflow." So, if a water main breaks in downtown Annapolis and water crosses the street and flows into your home, that's a flood.

You can purchase a policy through an insurance agent. If your existing insurance provider doesn't handle flood insurance, call the NFIP Referral Call Center at 888-379-9531.

With the latest reports of nearly 52 inches of total rainfall in Cedar Bayou, Texas, Harvey is the worst rainstorm and the most expensive disaster in U.S. history. The Washington Post reported on what a Harvey-type storm could mean to any community. Calculations show that in Annapolis, 52 inches of rain would bring flood levels to 3.3 feet at City Hall, 4.4 feet at the Boatyard Bar & Grill and 5.6 feet at Market House.

Annapolis residents have learned from Weather It Together presentations and coverage in The Capital that rainstorms are increasing in frequency and intensity worldwide. That's why the Weather It Together team has included in the draft update to the city's Hazard Mitigation Plan a public education campaign to encourage property owners and businesses to purchase flood insurance and adapt their properties to a certain future of rising waters.

As someone who chose to live and work on the Chesapeake Bay, I'm grateful to have the water just footsteps away, but I also know that as a property owner my responsibility is to plan a future for myself, my family and my city that doesn't underestimate the impact of a changing climate on our home, our heritage and our local economy. Flood insurance coverage is a first step. Follow me and take it now.

Lisa Craig is the chief of historic preservation for Annapolis. She lives in Edgewater and is a member of the City of Annapolis Weather It Together team. Contact her at [email protected].

Credit: Lisa Craig - Lisa Craig is the chief of historic preservation for Annapolis. She lives in Edgewater and is a member of the City of Annapolis Weather It Together team. Contact her at [email protected].