What is a Flood?
OK at first this may seem like one of those “Duh?” questions, however the National Flood Insurance Program has established a legal definition for a flood as follows:
A flood is a general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow.
Anywhere it rains it can flood.
Many conditions can result in a flood: hurricanes, broken levees, outdated or clogged drainage systems and rapid accumulation of rainfall.
Just because you haven’t experienced a flood in the past, doesn’t mean you won’t in the future. Flood risk isn’t just based on history, it’s also based on a number of factors: such as rainfall, river-flow and tidal-surge data, topography, flood-control measures, and changes due to building and development. New development miles upstream can create flooding in your area.
Flood-hazard maps have been created to show different degrees of risk for your community, which help determine the cost of flood insurance. The lower the degree of risk, the lower the flood insurance premium.