You live in Las Vegas in the middle of the Mojave Desert where our annual rainfall is measured in the hundredth of an inch, so you may be thinking to yourself, why would I buy flood insurance if I live in a desert? The answer is more obvious than you think, because you live in a flood zone. Because of the lack of rain in the desert, what precipitation we do get is wicked from the surface instead of absorbing into the sand.

The Facts About Floods

With hurricanes, deadly tornadoes, and earthquakes, most people don’t realize that floods are actually the number one natural disaster in the United States every year. Even if you don’t live in a flood zone in the valley, which means you live on a ridge or side of our surrounding mountains, you are still financially vulnerable to floods. A flood isn’t necessarily created by rain, it could happen because of bad plumbing inside of your home as well. Consider this scenario, your dishwasher hoses break and leak through the back of your cabinet. After using your dishwasher a few more times you start to notice pooling, all the while the water is saturating the insides of your walls, your carpet, and depending on where you dishwasher is located, your building structure, creating mold and costing you a small fortune in remediation and repair costs.

Financial Burdens of Floods

Flood insurance is available to add to your homeowners insurance or your renters insurance policies as it is not included in most standard policies. Flood insurance coverage should include not only the structural costs, but also the contents. With the inclusion of property flood insurance, speak with your EINSURE agent to make sure you are covered properly, you are sure to find that the financial burden of a claim is limited to your deductible, and considerably inexpensive compared to the cost of a flood.

If you live in a flood hazard area flood insurance is likely mandatory, but is optional and considerably lower if you live in a non-flood hazard area. To learn more about flooding in Southern Nevada and Las Vegas, and to information about flood events and the work the district performs to improve the protection of life and property for existing and future residents and visitors to the valley, visit the Regional Flood Control District. It is always important to remember that a structure doesn’t have to be located in a flood zone to be considered susceptible to flooding.

Contact your EINSURE agent today to learn more about the cost of buying flood insurance, and the financial vulnerability of choosing not to buy flood insurance.