If you have listened to the news you will have heard the predictions for a lot of rain this winter in Southern California. In fact, some meteorologists are saying this will be the strongest El Nino storm season of the last 50 years. So, should you buy flood insurance to protect your home? There are some areas in the county that are in High Risk zones and if your home is in one of these, and you have a mortgage, the bank holding your mortgage has probably already made it a requirement to purchase flood insurance. But what if you are not in one of these High Risk zones?
In the last big El Nino storm much of the flooding in Oxnard and Port Hueneme was due to the flood channels not being able to handle the amount of water trying to make its way to the ocean. It's like a partially blocked sewer drain at your home that cannot handle all the water being sent down it, so there is a backup. A big difference though is the sewer line backup is covered on your homeowner's policy while the flood control backup is not.
Another important factor is how close to a hill your home is and how dense the vegetation is on the hill. If there is little vegetation or it has burned recently, the hillside might not be stable in the event there is a heavy rainfall.
So be aware of what the area around your house is like. If you would like to know what flood zone your home is in, you can give my office a call (805)985-5488 or go to my website, and we will research it for you. If you are leaning towards purchasing flood coverage for your home you should not delay as there is a 30 day waiting period from the date you purchase to the date the policy is in effect.
In the last big El Nino storm much of the flooding in Oxnard and Port Hueneme was due to the flood channels not being able to handle the amount of water trying to make its way to the ocean. It's like a partially blocked sewer drain at your home that cannot handle all the water being sent down it, so there is a backup. A big difference though is the sewer line backup is covered on your homeowner's policy while the flood control backup is not.
Another important factor is how close to a hill your home is and how dense the vegetation is on the hill. If there is little vegetation or it has burned recently, the hillside might not be stable in the event there is a heavy rainfall.
So be aware of what the area around your house is like. If you would like to know what flood zone your home is in, you can give my office a call (805)985-5488 or go to my website, and we will research it for you. If you are leaning towards purchasing flood coverage for your home you should not delay as there is a 30 day waiting period from the date you purchase to the date the policy is in effect.
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