FLOODING
STATS

Natural disasters can be devastating to families, and sometimes even to entire communities. Flooding is the #1 natural disaster in the United States and therefore affects a significant amount of the country’s population year after year. Floods are getting more intense and happening more often due to the effects of climate change, so even if you don’t live in a flood-prone area, you may find yourself more vulnerable to flooding very soon.

You may also experience flooding and water damage from other things such as pipe leaks or poor drainage. Below are some interesting flooding statistics. 

FLOOD DAMAGE STATS
  • It only takes one inch of floodwater to cause up to $25,000 in damage.
  • In high risk flood areas, a home is more likely to experience flood damage than fire damage.
  • Flash flooding can bring water levels in your home as high as 10-15 feet.
  • It only takes 2 feet of water to swiftly pick up a car and carry it away.
FLOOD RISK STATS
  • Around 14.6 million U.S. homes are at risk of flooding.
  • Flooding kills more than 100 people a year in the United States. This is more than any other natural disaster.
  • In the past five years, all 50 states have experienced floods.
  • Construction actually increases flood risk, especially if previous runoff areas are altered in any way.
FLOOD INSURANCE STATS
  • Homeowners’ insurance policies do not provide coverage for damage from floods. You need to purchase a separate flood policy if you want flooding coverage.
  • If your home is located in a high-risk flood zone, your mortgage lender will most likely require that you get a flood insurance policy when lending to you.
BETWEEN 2005 AND 2014

$42,000 =

The average flood claim amount.

$3.5 billion =

The average total flood insurance claims each year.

$700 =

The national average flood premium each year.

As you can see from that information above, flooding is an event that is likely to affect almost everyone and if it does, restoring the flood damage can be quite costly. Taking preventative measures to help reduce damage before flooding strikes will help bring these costs down. 

Sources

FEMA.gov, FloodSmart.gov. iii.org, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.