Hurricane season officially starts Tuesday, June 1, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is urging Florida residents to buy flood insurance as soon as possible.
FEMA National Flood Insurance Program Senior Executive David Maurstad said most homeowner policies don’t cover flooding — and that it takes 30-days for a separate flood policy go into effect.
“You can purchase a flood insurance policy. If you live in Florida, I can tell you, you need one, where it can flood an inch; just an inch of water in your home can cause up to $25,000 in damage,” he said.
The average flood insurance premium this year in Florida is around $700, according to Maurstad.
Right now, only 20% of Florida residents have flood insurance.
Michelle Corum can be reached at mcorum@wjct.org, 904-358-6308 or on Twitter at @MCorumonME.
