Flood insurance, explained plainly.
Everything we tell our own clients about flood insurance — zones, programs, pricing, waiting periods, and the myths that cost people money. No jargon, no sales pitch.
NFIP vs. private flood insurance
Federal program or private carrier? Coverage caps, waiting periods, and pricing — and who should consider which.
Flood zones explained
What A, AE, V, VE, X, and D actually mean, why your zone matters to your lender, and why maps change.
When FEMA redraws your map
Remapped into — or out of — a high-risk zone? Premiums, lender requirements, newly-mapped rates, and LOMA challenges.
Risk Rating 2.0 explained
How FEMA prices NFIP policies since 2021 — what really drives your premium now, and what stayed the same.
Elevation certificates
What they are, when one can lower your premium or win a map dispute, and how to get one.
Waiting periods
The 30-day rule, the exceptions that shorten it, and why you can't wait until a storm is named.
Do I need flood insurance?
Myth-busting: most flood claims don't come from where you'd expect, plus the renter and condo angle.
Commercial flood insurance
Your business policy doesn't cover flood. NFIP commercial limits, lender requirements, and the business-interruption gap.
Before the flood: protect your home
Water is coming. Move the irreplaceable, seal entry points, shut off utilities, document everything — then leave early.
After the flood: recovery checklist
Safety first, then documentation, then cleanup — the exact order that protects your health and your claim.
What to do if you experience a loss
The claim process step by step: deadlines, adjusters, advance payments, and what to do if the offer is too low.
Build your emergency flood kit
The complete 72-hour kit checklist — water, power, documents, flood-specific gear — with a printable list.
Local risk, explained locally.
A Houston bayou, a Carolina mountain valley, and a California burn scar flood for completely different reasons. State-by-state guides, starting with our home turf of Georgia and Texas.
Browse state guidesReading is good. Knowing your zone is better.
Every guide on this page gets more useful once you know your property's real FEMA flood zone. Start there — everything else builds on it.
Check your flood zone