Massachusetts homeowners pay an additional $1,563 for flood insurance
By: Hemanth Ramesh August, 13, 2019
According to a Gavop analysis, Massachusetts homeowners pay an average flood insurance premium of $1,563 in addition to the average homeowners insurance rate of $1,379.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) ensures that more than 330 communities in Massachusetts that have agreed to enforce and adopt floodplain management ordinances receive federally backed flood insurance. The Legal Information Institute defines community as a state or political subdivision thereof that has zoning and building code jurisdiction over a particular area with a special flood hazard status.
The law in Massachusetts levies a limit on the amount of coverage required under flood insurance, prohibiting insurance firms from demanding residential flood insurance that exceeds the outstanding mortgage balance or with a deductible less than $5,000.
About 65,000 families in Massachusetts currently have flood insurance. The average flood insurance premium in Massachusetts is considerably higher than the national average of $700 per annum.
Massachusetts is affected by floods practically every year, with hundreds of properties and businesses suffering damages. The probability of flooding is much higher along the Cape and the north and south shores. Even homeowners living in moderate- or low-flood zones are not immune to flood damages. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), almost 25% of flood insurance claims are from low- or moderate-flood zones.
The map illustrates the counties in Massachusetts with a higher probability of being affected by floods.
The counties of Worcester, Middlesex, Norfolk, Bristol, Suffolk, Essex, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket have a high probability of being affected by a hurricane.
Contrary to popular belief, warmer spring temperatures also cause significant flooding from the rapid melting of snow. Thus, it is important for homeowners to prepare for floods and not a heavy downpour during warm summers.
Most flood insurance policies have a 30-day period before they become active, which means a homeowner should not wait for a hurricane forecast to buy flood insurance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hemanth Ramesh
Hemanth Ramesh works as a writer for Gavop. He has previously written content for film promotions, start-ups, advertising agencies and event management firms. Hemanth Ramesh completed his MA in Journalism and Mass Communication from The English and Foreign Languages University. His other passion includes script writing.
