Friday, June 29, 2012

Flood Insurance

NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM


Flood damage is excluded under standard homeowners and renters insurance policies. Flood coverage, however, is available in the form of a separate policy both from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and from a few private insurers.

Congress created the NFIP in 1968 in response to the rising cost of taxpayer-funded disaster relief for flood victims and the increasing amount of damage caused by floods. The NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available in communities that agree to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage. The NFIP is self-supporting for the average historical loss year. This means that unless there is a widespread disaster, operating expenses and flood insurance claims are financed through premiums collected.

The NFIP provides coverage for up to $250,000 for the structure of the home and $100,000 for personal possessions. Private flood insurance is available for those who need additional insurance protection, known as "excess coverage,” over and above the basic policy or for people whose communities do not participate in the NFIP. Some insurers have introduced special policies for high-value properties. These policies may cover homes in noncoastal areas and/or provide enhancements to traditional flood coverage. The comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy includes coverage for flood damage.

A 2011 poll by the Insurance Information Institute found that 14 percent of American homeowners had a flood insurance policy, up from 10 percent in 2010 but still below the 17 percent who said they purchased flood insurance in 2008. The percentage of homeowners with flood insurance was highest in the South, at 19 percent, up from 14 percent in 2010 and back to the level of 2009. Thirteen percent of Midwestern homeowners had a flood insurance policy in 2011 along with 12 percent of homeowners in the West and 5 percent in the Northeast.
  • As of June 2012, 86 insurance companies participated in the "Write-Your-Own" program, started in 1983, in which insurers issue policies and adjust flood claims on behalf of the federal government under their own names.
  • As of July 2011, 69 percent of NFIP flood insurance policies covered single family homes, 20 percent covered condominiums and 5 percent covered businesses and other non-residential properties. 2 to 4 family units and other residential policies accounted for the remaining 6 percent.
  • Rivers and streams reached record levels in 10 states as a result of Hurricane Irene in August 2011.

NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM, 1980-2010
     Losses paid
Year Policies in force
at year-end
Number Amount ($000)
1980 2,103,851 41,918 $230,414
1985 2,016,785 38,676 368,239
1990 2,477,861 14,766 167,897
1995 3,476,829 62,441 1,295,578
2000 4,369,087 16,362 251,721
2005 4,962,011 212,897 17,714,793
2006 5,514,895 24,595 640,671
2007 5,655,919 23,132 610,395
2008 5,684,275 74,300 3,452,271
2009 5,700,235 30,839 773,065
2010 5,646,735 27,923 727,877
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
View Archived Tables
  • In 2010 the average amount of flood coverage was $220,577 and the average premium was $594.
  • The average flood claim in 2010 was $26,067, down from $46,464 in 2008, the year of Hurricane Ike.
  • NFIP premiums written rose from $1.7 billion in 2000 to $3.4 billion in 2010.
  • In the wake of the August 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said that the NFIP would cover property damage caused by the “mixing of oil and other pollutants in flood water".
  • As of November the federal government had declared 56 major flood disasters in 2011, including record flooding in Minot, North Dakota. In all of 2010, there were 51 federally declared major flood disasters.
FLOOD INSURANCE IN THE UNITED STATES, 2011 (1)
  Direct NFIP business WYO business Total NFIP/WYO
State Number of
policies
Insurance
in force (2)
($ millions)
Number of
policies
Insurance
in force (2)
($ millions)
Number of
policies
Insurance
in force (2)
($ millions)
Alabama 12,212 $2,258.0 45,129 $9,640.5 57,341 $11,898.6
Alaska 848 167.3 2,132 520.3 2,980 687.6
Arizona 458 14.4 34,406 7,823.4 34,864 7,837.8
Arkansas 6,775 1,476.0 14,279 1,572.7 21,054 3,048.7
California 4,194 551.4 261,167 68,074.5 265,361 68,625.9
Colorado 48,309 11,727.7 -28,102 -7,229.1 20,207 4,498.6
Connecticut 4,461 950.4 37,336 8,649.7 41,797 9,600.1
Delaware 3,057 654.7 22,123 5,455.2 25,180 6,109.9
D.C. 4,997 1,222.6 -2,950 -875.0 2,047 347.7
Florida 127 19.1 2,057,826 470,984.5 2,057,953 471,003.6
Georgia 207,903 50,590.7 -110,895 -27,250.5 97,008 23,340.2
Hawaii 183 34.1 59,854 12,458.0 60,037 12,492.1
Idaho 2,655 569.4 4,499 1,023.8 7,154 1,593.2
Illinois 1,445 308.5 48,422 8,316.7 49,867 8,625.2
Indiana 14,616 2,310.9 17,684 2,996.3 32,300 5,307.2
Iowa 9,151 1,284.7 9,446 2,002.0 18,597 3,286.7
Kansas 4,250 624.8 8,863 1,458.3 13,113 2,083.1
Kentucky 3,423 486.3 21,200 3,043.8 24,623 3,530.0
Louisiana 4,524 572.5 489,116 111,552.9 493,640 112,125.4
Maine 143,780 31,132.2 -134,651 -29,188.0 9,129 1,944.2
Maryland 822 156.6 70,006 15,112.9 70,828 15,269.4
Massachusetts 8,118 1,838.2 48,029 10,897.5 56,147 12,735.8
Michigan 6,833 1,421.9 18,216 2,773.1 25,049 4,195.0
Minnesota 6,200 907.2 13,462 3,264.0 19,662 4,171.2
Mississippi 3,849 780.1 72,760 15,649.8 76,609 16,429.9
Missouri 19,735 4,195.0 7,939 284.8 27,674 4,479.8
Montana 5,733 800.1 2,274 643.6 8,007 1,443.7
Nebraska 3,273 477.1 10,669 1,831.0 13,942 2,308.1
Nevada 2,701 594.7 11,491 2,788.0 14,192 3,382.6
New Hampshire 765 151.0 8,585 1,682.2 9,350 1,833.3
New Jersey 20,989 4,263.3 212,852 49,116.5 233,841 53,379.8
New Mexico 3,014 498.5 14,045 2,550.1 17,059 3,048.6
New York 23,725 5,534.7 143,621 35,294.7 167,346 40,829.5
North Carolina 17,703 4,088.8 119,764 27,862.7 137,467 31,951.5
North Dakota 3,981 893.7 17,246 4,071.9 21,227 4,965.5
Ohio 9,194 1,231.3 32,587 5,465.5 41,781 6,696.8
Oklahoma 4,238 674.6 12,915 2,272.7 17,153 2,947.4
Oregon 7,863 1,706.7 26,829 6,019.4 34,692 7,726.1
Pennsylvania 12,490 1,737.4 57,833 10,965.2 70,323 12,702.6
Rhode Island 904 173.0 15,330 3,734.3 16,234 3,907.3
South Carolina 28,608 7,324.7 174,136 41,580.6 202,744 48,905.3
South Dakota 1,468 290.0 5,873 1,255.8 7,341 1,545.8
Tennessee 7,337 1,452.5 26,564 5,748.4 33,901 7,200.9
Texas 135,015 31,827.4 520,349 129,665.2 655,364 161,492.6
Utah 1,014 199.8 3,784 878.7 4,798 1,078.5
Vermont 504 67.5 3,591 699.0 4,095 766.6
Virginia 21,229 4,859.4 92,751 22,704.3 113,980 27,563.7
Washington 7,636 1,590.5 39,214 9,386.6 46,850 10,977.2
West Virginia 6,028 619.8 15,470 2,044.5 21,498 2,664.3
Wisconsin 2,771 421.2 13,791 2,440.4 16,562 2,861.6
Wyoming 705 136.9 2,457 527.6 3,162 664.4
American Samoa 0 0.0 458 14.4 458 14.4
Guam 20,114 4,564.0 -19,857 -4,511.2 257 52.9
Puerto Rico 498 27.7 59,110 5,478.5 59,608 5,506.3
Virgin Islands 340 60.3 1,995 296.7 2,335 357.0
United States 874,260 $192,780.1 4,671,325 $1,070,242.8 5,585,797 $1,264,043.6
(1) Direct and WYO business may not add to total due to rounding.
(2) Total limits of liability for all policies in force.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
View Archived Tables
TOP TEN SIGNIFICANT FLOOD EVENTS, RANKED BY NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM PAYOUTS (1)
Rank Event Location Date Number of
paid losses
Amount paid
($ millions)
Average
paid loss
1 Hurricane Katrina AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, TN Aug. 2005 166,675 $16,128 $96,764
2 Hurricane Ike AL, LA, TX Sep. 2008 46,585 2,644 57,125
3 Hurricane Ivan AL, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV Sep. 2004 27,648 1,586 57,381
4 Tropical Storm Allison FL, LA, MS, NJ, PA, TX Jun. 2001 30,663 1,104 36,000
5 Hurricane Irene CT, DC, DE, MA, ME, MD, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, PR, RI, VA, VT Aug. 2011 36,360 928 25,511
6 Louisiana Flood LA May 1995 31,343 585 18,667
7 Hurricane Isabel DE, MD, NJ, NY, NC, PA, VA, WV Sep. 2003 19,857 493 24,806
8 Hurricane Floyd CT, DE, FL, GA, MA, ME, MD, NH,
NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT
Sep. 1999 20,438 462 22,618
9 Hurricane Rita AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, TN, TX Sep. 2005 9,494 470 49,534
10 Hurricane Opal AL, NC, PR, SC, TN Oct. 1995 10,343 406 39,208
(1) Includes events from 1978 to December 31, 2011. Defined by the National Flood Insurance Program as an event that produces at least 1,500 paid losses. Stated in dollars when occurred.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FLOOD INSURANCE POLICIES IN FORCE BY OCCUPANY TYPE, 2011
FLOOD INSURANCE POLICIES IN FORCE BY OCCUPANY TYPE, 2011
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM PAYOUTS, 2010 (1)
State name Total number of claims Total claims payments
($ millions)
Alabama 379 $6.00
Alaska 4 0.08
Arizona 121 2.89
Arkansas 669 17.30
California 486 5.43
Colorado 48 0.19
Connecticut 927 8.26
Delaware 172 1.18
D.C. 23 0.02
Florida 1,994 38.56
Georgia 360 2.91
Hawaii 25 0.30
Idaho 18 0.25
Illinois 2,058 24.70
Indiana 115 1.14
Iowa 675 16.84
Kansas 115 1.23
Kentucky   1,260 35.82
Louisiana 1,963 25.29
Maine 100 0.86
Maryland 319 1.10
Massachusetts 2,121 24.86
Michigan 76 0.31
Minnesota 432 5.14
Mississippi 243 5.93
Missouri 770 15.78
Montana 18 0.02
Nebraska 366 5.56
Nevada 2 NA
New Hampshire 176 2.09
New Jersey 6,420 107.92
New Mexico 36 0.39
New York 2,975 20.96
North Carolina 1,518 10.36
North Dakota 368 3.29
Ohio 157 1.87
Oklahoma 281 5.50
Oregon 26 0.08
Pennsylvania 629 4.34
Puerto Rico 424 5.85
Rhode Island 1,764 39.76
South Carolina 191 1.26
South Dakota 334 3.07
Tennessee 4,702 221.18
Texas 2,977 57.66
Utah 7 0.13
Vermont 7 0.02
Virgin Islands 26 0.64
Virginia 6,843 104.44
Washington 63 0.18
West Virginia 775 11.45
Wisconsin 493 5.40
Wyoming 20 0.03
Total 47,071 $856.00
(1) October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010.
NA=Data not available.
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
  • NFIP flood insurance payouts were highest in Tennessee in 2010, followed by New Jersey, Virginia, Texas and Rhode Island. Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Illinois round out the top ten.
THE TEN MOST SIGNIFICANT FLOOD EVENTS BY NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM PAYOUTS (1)
Rank Event Location Date Number of paid losses Amount paid ($ millions) Average paid loss
1 Hurricane Katrina AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, TN Aug. 2005 167,397 $16,208 $96,821
2 Hurricane Ike AR, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, OH, PA, TX Sep. 2008 46,316 2,642 57,033
3 Hurricane Ivan AL, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NJ,
NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV
Sep. 2004 27,647 1,586 57,371
4 Tropical Storm Allison FL, LA, MS, NJ, PA, TX Jun. 2001 30,663 1,104 36,000
5 Louisiana flood LA May 1995 31,343 585 18,667
6 Hurricane Isabel DE, MD, NJ, NY, NC, PA, VA, WV Sep. 2003 19,864 493 24,825
7 Hurricane Rita AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, TN, TX Sep. 2005 9,514 472 49,562
8 Hurricane Floyd CT, DE, FL, GA, MA, ME, MD, NH, NJ, NC, PA, SC, VA, VT Sep. 1999 20,438 462 22,618
9 Hurricane Opal AL, NC, PR, SC, TN Oct. 1995 10,343 406 39,208
10 Hurricane Hugo GA, NC, PR, SC, VA, U.S. Virgin Islands Sep. 1989 12,840 376 29,317
(1) Includes events from 1978 to July 31, 2011. Defined by the National Flood Insurance Program as an event that produces at least 1,500 paid losses. Stated in dollars when occurred.

Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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