Hurricane season is coming, and the forecast looks serious. For the 2025 season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a highly active season with an 85% probability of above-normal storm activity. Forecasters are predicting a range of 17 to 25 named storms between June and November. For Florida homeowners in areas like Orlando, Kissimmee, and throughout Central Florida, this means it’s time to think about flood insurance.
Flooding Can Happen Anywhere in Florida
Many homeowners think they’re safe from flooding because they don’t live near the beach. This thinking can be expensive. Hurricane Ian in 2022 proved that flooding can happen hundreds of miles from the coast, in places that had never flooded before.
Let’s talk about Sarah, a homeowner in a quiet neighborhood outside Orlando. Her house was nowhere near the coast or a major river. She never worried about flooding. Then Hurricane Ian sat over Central Florida and dumped more than 15 inches of rain in 24 hours. The small pond behind her neighborhood couldn’t handle all that water and overflowed into the streets.
Water rushed into Sarah’s home, ruining her hardwood floors, furniture, and family photos. The damage cost over $40,000 to fix. Her regular homeowners insurance paid for the roof repair from wind damage, but they wouldn’t pay a penny for the flood damage. Sarah had to choose between going deep into debt or living in a damaged home.
This story happens more often than you might think. According to FEMA, more than 20% of flood claims are for properties outside high-risk flood zones. Heavy rain from slow-moving storms creates flooding in neighborhoods that have been dry for decades.
Your Regular Home Insurance Won’t Cover Floods
Here’s something many homeowners don’t know: your regular home insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. It’s not hidden in small print somewhere. Flood damage is completely excluded from standard policies.
You need a separate flood insurance policy. Most people get this through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is run by the government through FEMA. This program works with regular insurance companies to sell flood policies.
A typical NFIP policy covers up to $250,000 for your house structure and $100,000 for your belongings inside. In Florida, this coverage costs an average of $1,114 per year, which is roughly $93 per month. When you consider that a few inches of water can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage, this protection is a smart investment.
New Rules Mean More People Need Flood Insurance
Florida has new rules that require more homeowners to buy flood insurance. If you get your home insurance through Citizens Property Insurance (the state’s insurer of last resort), you now have to buy flood insurance too, no matter where you live.
This affects over one million homes across Florida. The rule is being rolled out in stages:
· By January 2025: Homes covered for $500,000 or more need flood insurance
· By January 2026: Homes covered for $400,000 or more need flood insurance
· By January 2027: All Citizens customers need flood insurance
If you have a mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender and live in a high-risk flood area (a Special Flood Hazard Area), you are already required to have flood insurance.
Don’t Wait Until a Storm is Coming
Here’s the most important thing to know: you can’t buy flood insurance when a hurricane is heading your way. New NFIP policies have a 30-day waiting period before they take effect. This rule exists to stop people from only buying coverage when a storm is imminent.
August and September are typically the busiest months for hurricanes in Florida. If you wait until summer to think about flood insurance, you might be out of luck when storms start forming. The best time to get covered is right now, while the weather is calm.
Some private insurance companies offer flood coverage with shorter waiting periods (often 10-14 days), but they still require you to plan ahead. Florida now has a growing market of private companies selling flood insurance, which gives homeowners more choices for coverage.
What Flood Insurance Actually Covers
Flood insurance covers direct physical losses from a flood, which is defined by the NFIP as an excess of water on land that is normally dry, affecting two or more acres of land or two or more properties. This covers water damage from:
· Storm surge from hurricanes
· Overflow of inland or tidal waters (lakes, rivers, etc.)
· Unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source
· Mudflows
A standard flood policy will not cover damage from a burst pipe or a leaking appliance; those issues are typically handled by your regular homeowners insurance.
Flood policies have two parts: building coverage and contents coverage. Building coverage protects your house structure, electrical and plumbing systems, and built-in appliances. Contents coverage protects your furniture, clothing, electronics, and other personal belongings.
How to Get Flood Insurance
Getting flood insurance is pretty straightforward. Start by contacting your current home or auto insurance agent. Most agents can sell NFIP policies. You can also use the NFIP’s provider locator online or call them at (877) 336-2627 to find an agent.
If you want more coverage than the NFIP offers, or if you are looking for different policy features, an agent can also help you explore options from private flood insurance companies.
How Your Title Company Can Help
When you buy a home, your title company plays an important role in making sure you understand flood risks. At closing, the title company is responsible for reviewing the lender’s requirements, which includes verifying if the property is in a designated flood zone that requires mandatory insurance coverage. They coordinate with your lender and insurance agent to ensure all required policies are in place before closing.
A title company’s property research might also uncover past flood damage or insurance claims, giving you crucial information to help you make an informed decision about the type and amount of flood coverage you need. Because they handle transactions in the same areas repeatedly, title professionals often have valuable local knowledge about potential flood risks.
Protect Your Biggest Investment
Your home is likely your most valuable asset. With flooding being one of the most common and costly natural disasters in the United States, flood insurance is essential protection that works alongside your homeowners policy.
The combination of a busy hurricane season forecast and the 30-day waiting period means you need to act soon. Every day you wait is one day closer to being unprotected when storms start forming.
At AZ Team Title, we help homeowners understand all the ways to protect their property investment. From the day you close on your home through the years you own it, we’re here to provide guidance and connect you with the resources you need. Visit azteamtitle.com to learn more about how we help Florida homeowners protect what matters most.