Flooding

9/1/2017 (Permalink)

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, flooding is becoming more frequent along the coastlines of the United States. Studying measurements from tide gauges at locations along U.S. coasts, the NOAA found that nearly every site measured has experienced an increase in coastal flooding since the 1950s. The mid-Atlantic region experienced the highest number of coastal flood days and also the largest increases in flooding from 1950 to 2015. Since 2010, no area has flooded more often than Wilmington, North Carolina, which flooded an average of 49 days per year. The United States Environmental Protection Agency notes that higher sea levels pose a number of threats to coastal communities, including making coastal infrastructure more vulnerable to damage from storms because that infrastructure was not designed to withstand frequent inundation or exposure to salt water. Coastal flooding, the EPA notes, also can affect human health by increasing the risk that drinking water and wastewater infrastructure will fail, potentially exposing people to pathogens and harmful chemicals.

But flooding is not exclusive to coastlines or waterway.  Flash flooding, hurricanes, and prolonged rainy season cans affect any property not just those in a flood plane.  Knowing this having a conversation with you insurance provider to determine what is and isn't covered in your policy will help prepare you in the event that this happens to you.