Iowa Governor Chet Culver declares March Flood Awareness Month

Iowa legislators push homeowners to obtain flood insurance now more than ever. According to a recent published report on RadioIowa, Angel Robinson who is the consumer advocate on the States Insurance division is on record indicating that only 15,000 residents are presently covered by flood insurance. Iowa has a long standing history of experiencing flooding during the summer months as water levels rise from melting snow and spring rain fall.

In the summer of 2008, Cedar Rapids experienced a major catastrophic flood as the Cedar River rose over twenty feet and the entire downtown area was under water. The flooding zone was quickly declared a FEMA emergency zone and the cleanup and repair process took several months to complete. During a major catastrophic flood as was experienced during 2008, communities are at the mercy of the water levels to recede which often can take several days to weeks to occur. The restoration process can not begin until the water levels have lowered to a safe level that allows emergency contractors to begin cleaning out and drying the properties. The lengthy process of cleaning properties often leads to mold beginning to grow, further compounding the cleaning and repair process.

Homeowners and businesses often overlook the necessity of obtaining flood insurance until after they have suffered from their first flood disaster. Most insurance policies specifically exclude coverage for flood damages. Flood insurance may be obtained from an insurance company that has credential from the NFIP, which is the national flood insurance program coordinated through FEMA. To qualify for flood insurance you generally have to live in an area that is designated as a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) that means the government has identified this as having a higher risk of flooding or an area that has historically been located within a flooding zone.

According to FEMA’s website, the State of Iowa has had over 14 declared FEMA emergencies due to flooding and water damage since 1990. Historically, the State is known for having a large degree of flooding disasters due to its elevation and multiple rivers that flow in close proximity to a number of larger cities. The legislation is pushing hard for its residents to take proactive measures as a defense against flooding this year to help limit potential damages. The State is also working hard to implement infrastructure improvements designed to assist with redistributing the water flow and reducing the potential of flooding. The months of March through August are likely to be the periods when flooding are most likely to occur.

You can review the governments FloodSmart program here