Despite recommendations, some Southern Indiana homeowners reject flood insurance
Lanham owns two other homes in
In good weather, families who are in the know visit the park for cookouts and socializing.
But after this week, Lanham isn't sure he wants to live in his personal oasis anymore. The recent flooding in
Lanham doesn't have flood insurance even though he's in a federally designated special flood hazard area.
"I don't have anything worthwhile," Lanham said.
He doesn't owe money on his home, which would require him to get insurance, and neighbors have told him that they pay anywhere from
Plenty of land in
director of personal lines for
Most people in high-risk flood zones do have insurance, said
Through the
Despite the price, Black maintains that forgoing flood insurance is a bad idea. Stubblefield and him have observed flooding events become ever more common in recent years: from Hurricane Harvey in
"Everyone thinks it's just not going to happen and then the weather keeps changing and then it happens," Stubblefield said.
This year, his home stayed dry, but in 1997, three feet of water flowed into his house. Nixe had to remove his drywall and replace his insulation, but the insurance company helped him out.
"We had no problems," he said.
Some residents might decide to forgo flood insurance and hope that
But that route can come with its own complications, Black said.
The county you're in has to qualify for
And finally, even if you do receive aid,
That might seem like a lot for something a homeowner may or may not need, but more than 20 percent of
Stubblefield also recommends that homeowners pay for water sewage backup, which covers water that leaks into the basement and isn't covered by regular flood insurance.
For homeowners seeking to lower the cost of their insurance, Black recommends buying from the private market instead. They could also choose to buy less coverage. Most flood damage costs around
Every time a flooding event happens, calls flow into
So far, Black's department has handed out around 50 quotes to homeowners suddenly interested in flood insurance. He estimates that he'll give out more than 100 by the time the next few weeks are up.
"But most still say, 'ahh, it will never happen again,'" Black said. "And then it does. Then it happens."
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