City Of West Palm Beach: MEDIA ADVISORY: West Palm Beach Residents Encouraged To Purchase Flood Insurance Before Hurricane Season Peak

Press release from the City of West Palm Beach:

06/21/2021 10:24 AM

Assignment Desks, Reporters: Please contact the city’s Director of Communications to schedule an interview time with City of West Palm Beach Management Analyst Ralph Wall. 

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA (June 21, 2021) – The City of West Palm Beach is encouraging residents to purchase flood insurance before the peak of hurricane season. Floods can happen anywhere. In South Florida, we are especially vulnerable due to low-lying topography, proximity to the coast, and heavy rainfall. Just one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage. It is important to protect your home, your business, and your possessions.

Most homeowners, renters, or business insurance policies do NOT cover flood damage. Flood insurance is a separate policy that can cover buildings, the contents in a building, or both. If you do not already have flood insurance, the city encourages you to consider flood insurance for your property.

The city carries out flood management measures designed to protect life and property from future flooding. As a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System, the city works diligently to maintain a 25% discount on flood insurance premiums for properties in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) and a 10% discount for non-SFHA properties in our city.

Top Questions & Answers About Flood Insurance, per FEMA and the NFIP:

• Why Purchase Flood Insurance? No home is completely safe from potential flooding, and flood insurance can be the difference between recovery and financial devastation. Knowing you can recover brings peace of mind.
• Am I Required to Have Flood Insurance? Whether you live inside or outside of the high-risk flood area, if you own property, you should consider purchasing flood insurance for the protection and peace of mind it brings. However, many property owners, particularly those in high-risk flood areas, may be required to have flood insurance.
• What Does My Policy Cover? In the event of a flood, your NFIP policy covers direct physical losses to your structure and belongings. 
• Types of Flood Insurance: The NFIP partners with more than 50 insurance companies and thousands of independent agents across the country to offer the same affordable NFIP rates and crucial insurance coverage to homeowners, business owners, or renters. Work with your insurance agent to learn more about coverage amounts, deductibles, and policy costs.
• How to Buy Flood Insurance: Call your insurance agent or company today. If you need help finding an insurance provider, the NFIP partners with more than 60 private insurance companies to sell and service policies. Reminder, residents of our city receive discounted flood insurance rates through the NFIP.
• Find a Flood Insurance Provider:  Click here to access a tool to find participating insurance providers in Florida.

• Contact: Ralph Wall, Management Analyst in the Department of Development Services, at (561) 805-6705 (TTY: 800-955-8771)
• Visit the city's flood information resource web page.

This press release was produced by the City of West Palm Beach. The views expressed here are the author’s own.