Why you need flood insurance, even if your home is not in a flood zone

If you live or do business in a flood zone, carrying flood insurance is a necessity. Some mortgage companies will require you to carry insurance against the horrific damage that a flood can cause.

However, All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School, serving Palm Coast, FL would like to suggest that even if you do not live or have a business in a flood zone, you might well want to consider carrying flood insurance anyway.

Leaving aside that our community faces the Atlantic and is thus a prime target for hurricanes, recent weather events have shown that, given the right conditions, a lot of places that were never considered to be in a flood zone can and do flood. The recent storms that have caused torrential flooding down the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are a case in point. Given sufficient rainfall over a sufficient period of time, any community that is near a major river or close to the ocean can find its streets turned into rivers and its front yards turned into lakes.

Nothing can be compared to what Tropical Storm Harvey did to the city of Houston and surrounding areas in August 2017. The storm parked itself over southeast Texas and rained for days. As a result, a great American city became a lake, with impassable roads and homes and businesses that have never flooded in living memory suddenly inundated. The cost of damage and lives disrupted was beyond calculation.

If you have any questions concerning flood insurance, contact All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School, serving Palm Coast, FL

How does home insurance help a homeowner?

If you own a property in the Palm Coast, FL area, you will need to make sure that your property is properly covered. One of the best ways to do this today is by having a full home insurance policy in place at all times. Having a full home insurance policy in place at all times can help a homeowner a number of different ways. 

Protects Your Asset and Investment

Your home is not only the place where you will live, but it is also a very valuable asset and investment. Because of this, you will want to make sure that it is properly covered by insurance. When you have a home insurance policy in place, you will receive coverage for the building and property plus your personal belongings. In the event of a fire or other significant issue, this could prove to be extremely valuable and necessary. 

Gives Valuable Liability Protection

Another advantage of having a home insurance policy is that it can provide you with very valuable liability protection. As a homeowner, you are going to take on risk if someone comes to your property. If there is an accident that causes any type of damage to a guest, you could be found liable. The home insurance policy will protect against this.

There are many advantages that come with having home insurance in place on your Palm Coast, FL home. When you are looking for a new home insurance policy, you should reach out to the team at All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School to learn more about your home insurance options. The insurance team at All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School can help you to pick a policy that will provide you with the right level of coverage. 

How the Location of Your Home and the Building Materials in It Affect Your Insurance Rate

If you’re like many people shopping for a new home, one of the main matters that get your attention is the neighborhood and the look of its exterior and interior. But when it comes to serving people in Florida, we at All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School want you to think about location and structural materials.

Location, Location, Location

Here’s why location and construction materials matter. Insurance costs more for homes near a body of water. Standard homeowners policies do not cover damage done by flood waters. You’ll have to buy this coverage from the federal government or an independent agent. Find out where emergency services are located near it, the natural disasters the area is prone to, and the building materials used in construction. 

Homes that are near a fire station with a year-round staff are less costly to insure, as are ones that are near a fire hydrant. A Class 1 fire department is the better to be near than a Class 10 one. Since Florida is susceptible to natural disasters like hurricanes that bring rain and wind, its insurance rates are high.

Now to the materials in your home. Does it support cement fiber siding, concrete stucco or stone, and brick veneer to better resist fire? Typical vinyl siding is not fire resistant. Another issue is that it and aluminum siding are easily damaged by wind. And manufactured homes are lighter than most traditional homes, which makes them prone to wind damage also. Fires also spread more quickly in them.

Now that you have some information about factors influencing insurance rates when you want a quote, contact All Counties Insurance Agency & Traffic School. We are ready to help Florida residents find a policy and get a quote.