ODESSA, Texas — Flooding insurance can be a life saver. Especially with how the pouring rain has caused roads and homes to flood over.
However, some people struggle to buy flooding insurance due to the "flood zones" they live in.
Blanca Nieto, the agency owner of the Blanca Nieto Goosehead Insurance Agency, defines what a flood zone actually is, as determined by FEMA.
“A flood zone is a geographic area that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has determined or defined as an area that's prone to flooding," Nieto said. "There are different types of flood zones, from moderate to low risk.”
High-risk flood zones also exist and are key components when it comes to flood insurance.
For those who may not know if they live in a flood zone, it's actually quite simple to find out how.
The FEMA website has a flood map where a person can type in their address. The map will then show whether or not that address is in a flood zone and what type of zone it is.
The type of house a homeowner lives in is also a factor.
“Like a mobile home, we call them manufactured homes, it sounds better. A lot of times, the policy will have flood coverage on a manufactured home," said Mike Podzemny, a State Farm Insurance agent. "The homeowner's policy, a lot of times or most of the time, will have flood coverage and auto. A manufactured home is different than a home auditor's policy that has a foundation that's solid.”
Depending on how high-risk the area is, it could have an effect on whether or not a private carrier would like to give that person flooding insurance.
Some private carriers offer a little more flexibility when it comes to different costs and different premiums.
There are also some factors when it comes to which homes in the flood zones can get flood insurance.
“Some of the questions that we have to go in the system and enter is, basically, does it have vents? If the water level is rising outside of the home, is the property vented? How high is it from the base level?" Nieto said. "Also, is there machinery that is on the floor itself? There are several different factors that will contribute to the homeowners [and] for the flood insurance premium.”
If people do feel nervous about rising water level hitting their house or whether they live in a flood zone, one could always reach out to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or other private carriers to see if they are eligible for flood insurance.
“You can actually buy flood insurance and not even be in a flood zone. If you're a person that's anxious and has anxiety problems about it raining," Podzemny said. "I've seen the water rise before, and even though I'm in an area that's never flooded, I might want to buy flood insurance.”
The NFIP also gives people a guide to help people get an elevation certificate, which allows them to officially measure their house's elevation relative to estimated floodwater levels.