Reexamine Your Risk For Flood

Are you aware that everyone lives in a flood zone? Do you know floods are the most common U.S. natural disaster? Do you understand that your home is more likely to suffer flood damage than fire damage?

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com



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Deadline Newsroom - Flood insurance is only mandated for properties in high-risk flood zones, but even if you live in a low- or moderate-risk area, you should bone up on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

To help get you started, here's a quick primer on floods and flood insurance.

• Floods are the most common natural disaster in the U.S. If you live in a flood plain, your home has a 26 percent chance (more than one in four) of being damaged by a flood during the course of a 30-year mortgage, compared to a 9 percent chance (less than one in ten) for fire damage.

• Your regular homeowner insurance policy typically does not provide benefits for losses caused by a flood, yet the NFIP says one in four flood insurance claims come from areas with low-to-moderate flood risk.

• That's because while everyone does not live in a flood plain, everyone does lives in a flood zone, says the NFIP.

If you live in a low- to moderate-risk area made so by a system of levees, dams and dikes -- as Midwestern and Gulf of Mexico area residents have learned -- the risk may be reduced but it is not removed. Levees, dams and dikes are not impervious to nature's worst.

Flooding can be caused by heavy rains, melting snow, inadequate drainage systems, failed flood control structures and tropical storms and hurricanes.

Even if you have a hillside home and you think you are out of harm's way, there's a risk of mudslide or debris flow which is covered by flood insurance.

• The share of claims from low- to moderate-risk homes and the overall risk for flooding could increase. A recent U.S. Climate Change Science Program report "Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate" said flatly, global warming-spawned climate change is increasing the intensity, duration, frequency, and geographic extent of weather events.

For example, 15 years ago, after the Midwest was previously inundated by what was pronounced a "100-year" or a "500-year" flood, some residents believed they'd seen the worse and dropped coverage.

This summer, uninsured homeowners got soaked.

• The term "100-year" flood doesn't mean there's a major flood every 100 years. It means a 100-year flood would have a 1 percent chance of occurring again in any given year and a 500-year flood a 0.2 percent chance.

• In non high-risk areas you could qualify for the Preferred Risk Policy that provides contents coverage beginning at $39 per year and building plus contents coverage beginning at $119 a year, according to the NFIP.

• If the relatively small premium doesn't get you to at least learn more about flood insurance, keep in mind, if you don't move fast you could lose. Once you decide to buy flood insurance, there's a standard 30-day waiting period, from the date of purchase, before a new flood policy goes into effect.

There is no waiting period provided:

The initial purchase of flood insurance is in connection with the making, increasing, extension, or renewal of a loan in a high-risk zone by a regulated lender.

The initial purchase of flood insurance occurs within one year of a flood zone map change.

• You could have to wait even longer for related coverage. Insurers in the Midwest currently have moratoriums on sewer and drainage coverage, which is part of your homeowner's policy, but can protect you from flood induced sewer and drainage problems. Moratoriums on selling disaster-related insurance coverage are common following a disaster.

• If you aren't required to have flood insurance and choose not to buy it, it's a good idea to have as much as $20,000 socked away for self-insurance. For just one inch of water in your home, expect an estimated $8,000 in damages, according to the NFIP's "Cost of Flooding" estimator. A foot of water -12 inches -- will cost you nearly $19,000.

• Residential NFIP coverage provides up to $250,000 of insurance to protect your owner-occupied home and up to $100,000 to protect your belongings. In a high-risk area, federally insured or regulated lenders will require you to have flood insurance for the amount remaining on your mortgage, or $250,000, whichever is lower. Renters can get up to $100,000 coverage for the contents of their home.

For more information, visit the consumer-friendly NFIP web site at FloodSmart.gov.

Also see the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) flood information Web site and FEMA's NFIP Web site.

• And don't forget storm and flood related news that really hits home in DeadlineNews.Com's "Storm Warning" section.

Forewarned is forearmed.

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group -- DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service and Web site and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's news back shop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Climate Change, Home Location Intertwined

There may be no safe haven to consider as a location for your home when it comes to global warming. The first extensive government-sponsored North American focus on climate change paints a dire, almost doomsday scenario, but hey, Santa's moving from North Pole melt.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - When it comes to where you choose to live, be very careful what you wish for.

That river-side bargain, bay view dream home or desert adobe could, along with you, become a victim of climate change.

Just as inundated Midwestern communities along the Mississippi River were feeling the pain of flood plain living, a U.S. climate change study said they and others can expect more of the same.

Buy a home in the wrong location and, more and more often, it could be inundated, a real sweat box or not sufficient shelter from a perfect storm.

That's according to findings in a new report by U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research.

The report "Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate", the first extensive federal report that focuses on North America alone, offers a bleaker picture for the nation than earlier reports that focused on the global impact of climate change.

Global warming, an increase in the atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, is on the rise, most scientists agree. When temperatures rise so do oceans and the incidents of drought and other severe weather conditions.

The study says global warming of the past 50 years has been largely caused by human activity that increases heat-trapping gasses. Activities include the increased use of fossil fuels, deforestation, even suburban sprawl and urban development.

Many types of extreme weather and climate event changes have been observed during the five-decade period and continued climatic changes are projected for this century.

The report says, in North America, 2006 was the second hottest year on record, with the higher latitudes of Alaska and Canada experiencing the greatest temperature anomalies.

Since the record hot year of 1998, six of the past ten years have had annual average temperatures that fall in the hottest 10 percent of all years on record for the U.S.

As the planet continues to fry, some critics continue to say global warming is a natural warming, man has nothing to do with it and, in time, global warming will pass. Still others continue to call it a hoax.

To the contrary, the report says expect changes in the intensity, duration, frequency, and geographic extent of weather and climate extremes. It also says there is a 90-percent chance that the frequency and intensity of heat waves and monsoon like downpours will rise.

In general, geographically speaking, expect more intense hurricanes spawned by the warmer Atlantic Ocean; heat waves and drought over much of the nation, especially the Southwest; heavy downpours and floods in large basins like the Mississippi River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin (CA) River Delta.

That could mean heavy monsoon-like downpours that come every 20 years could return every 6 years; 100 and 500 year floods every 10 to 15 years; record hot days, typically experienced a few times every 20 years, could become more common every three or four years.

Some say there is no safe haven.

Even Santa Claus may have to move to avoid North Pole melt.

It only sounds funny.

The fallout can be catastrophic in loss of life, property and money. Climate change that spawns flooding or drought can affect the water supply over an expanse of neighborhoods and communities. Likewise, extreme cold and heat put a strain on the power grid. And wildfires thrive during dry weather.

The report says:

• Abnormally hot days and nights, along with heat waves, are very likely to become more common. Cold nights are very likely to become less common.

• With hotter days and more evaporation, precipitation, on average, is likely to be less frequent, but more intense. The recent Mississippi River Valley storms are an example.

• Sea ice is expected to continue to decrease and may even disappear in the Arctic Ocean in summer in coming decades. That will raise the sea level along shorelines, erode coastal areas and contribute to more, stronger hurricanes.

• Droughts are likely to become more frequent and severe in some regions. Previous reports point to desert sprawl, with deserts' outer lying regions, nearer residential development, expanding and getting hotter.

• Hurricanes will likely have increased precipitation and wind. The Hurricane Katrina year of storms was a harbinger of this condition.

• The strongest cold-season storms in the Atlantic and Pacific are likely to produce stronger winds and higher extreme wave heights. During the winter of 2007, the city of Rome and nearby areas in upstate New York experienced more than 100 inches of snowfall.

The "Weather and Climate Extremes" report comes on the heels of other related reports from the same agency. Other reports discuss adaptation options for climate-sensitive ecosystems and the effects of climate change on agriculture, land resources, water resources, and biodiversity.

• More global warming news that hits home!

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

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Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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Wringing Out: Inspecting Home Systems After The Flood

As soon as you can get back into your home after a flood or rain driven storm, get or give your home a once over determine what professionals you'll need to help dry out.

by Broderick Perkins
© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Deadline Newsroom - After a flood, chances are, you'll have to call in the appropriate expert or two or three to clean up, wring out or otherwise return your home to its proper arid state.

Left unattended, rain storm and flood-related problems pose an insidious threat to the structural integrity of your home, especially its foundation and roof.

After you are sure it's safe to reenter your home and before you get started on the clean up, be sure to photograph, video tape or otherwise document the damage for insurance purposes.

Working from the ground up, here are the major problem areas the experts say warrant inspection and some tips on how to correct the problem should you find damage. Again, storm-related damage almost always requires a professional's touch.

Foundations, structural damage

Look for ceiling and wall buckling, a roof that's askew. Watch for falling plaster. Examine the foundation and supports where the walls meet the ground to check for undermining. Walls can be checked with a level or plumb bob.

Be very careful if you elect to inspect the foundation areas by digging along the side of the house. Saturated ground could cave in. Look for ponding around the foundation of your house. Pilings, common to some homes in coastal regions, should also be checked by a structural engineer for settling or shifting. A soils engineer may be necessary to check to ground. Also check any wood bracing beneath the house to make sure it's not soaked.

Severe buckling or shifting in the walls requires immediate attention by a structural or foundation engineer or general contractor familiar with foundations.

You should always maintain a slope of 1/2 inch per foot for three to five feet (like an apron all around the building) all the way around the perimeter of the building. Even concrete walks and patios should have a similar drainage pitch away from the home. The slope allows the water to flow away from your home. Also well-maintained roof gutters and a downspout fitted to direct rain away from the house help accomplish the task.

Flooding, standing water

Experts say 70 to 80 percent of all homeowners will experience some flooding or standing water at some time, but standing water often indicates poor drainage around the foundation. Once you've checked for structural damage look for standing water.

Pump it out to the drainage sewer slowly and carefully. In many cases, more damage can be caused by pumping too quickly. As the basement fills with water, it acts as a brace to water pressing against the outside walls.

Pump it out too fast and the walls could buckle and cave in. Pump in stages, about one-third of the water each day and watch the walls to make sure they aren't caving in from the outside pressure.

A long-range solution is to install a sump pump.

Roof leaks

Just where the roof is leaking is often the least revealing facet of a water-logged home. Water or moisture on a sloping roof won't leak down in a straight line, but drips along the rafters to some point away from the actual leak.

Begin your search by looking for discolored ceilings or walls. To find the source, go into the attic with a flashlight. The source may be noticeable during a rain, but not so obvious afterward. If it isn't raining, someone may have to spray the roof with a garden hose while you are inspecting in the attic. Once you locate the leak, mark it with chalk. You will need to patch it from above. In order to find the same spot when you go up on the roof, drive a nail or pass some wire up through the leak to the roof. Venturing up on the roof is for professionals or do-it-yourselfers with know-how. While you are up there, look for missing or damaged shingles and clogged, broken or rusted gutters.

Replace defective shingles or seal the leak with patching cement. Use plastic sheeting as a temporary covering for any large areas of damage and call in the professional later.

Also check for leaks in the flashing around the chimney, vent pipes or windows. If the metal flashing has been blown off, replace it with flashing that is 16 inches wide with a crimp or rib down the middle.

Seal it with asphalt roof patching cement. Use the asphalt roof patching cement to repair leaks around chimneys or pipes, where metal flashing is sound. It helps to leave the can indoors overnight to warm up the cement so it's easier to work with.

After a flood or rain-driven storm, once you've examined your home's large structural components, take a closer look at other systems you'll need to dry out.

Soaked hardwood floors, carpets, rugs and other flooring

Depending upon the length of time its been soaked, a hardwood floor and its connecting components may become warped and rusted creating squeaky floors. More damage could warrant refinishing and replacing part or all of the floor boards.

Turn nylon or other synthetic carpeting upside down to expose the backing to circulation. Place outside in the sunlight, or spread out in a warm room on an improvised drying frame of old chairs or sawhorses. Wool or cotton carpets are vulnerable to mildew. They should be dried more quickly, using clotheslines, large dryers or professional cleaners. Pull up the carpet pad to ventilate the floor. Rubber and foam pads can be dried out and saved. Jute and horsehair are difficult to dry.

Electrical outlets, gas valves

Flood waters come with debris, including silt that clogs and ruins gas valves and renders electrical outlets inoperable and dangerous. Any electrical outlet clogged with even a bit of silt or other object will short circuit.

Do not turn on electrical equipment until you've had a professional evaluation. Be careful in moving any electronic equipment to avoid further damage. Switch off all equipment and disconnect backup batteries. If possible, disconnect fuses.

Replace any gas valve recovered from flood waters. Disassemble and clean or replace all electrical outlets that have been submerged.

Soaked wall materials

A week or two of drying out and a fresh coat of paint may be all that is necessary. If so begin with a fresh undercoat of primer before painting. Otherwise, stains from water and rusted nails will bleed through the final coat.

It's likely water damaged sheet rock will have to be removed and replaced, particularly if water has been trapped in wall cavities.

Doors that stick

Shifting foundations can cause doors to stick. If you shave the edge of the door when the soil is wet, you may have an airspace when the soil dries and the foundation shifts again.

Instead, install weather stripping or an adjustable threshold under the door that will adjust to the movement of the door.

Windows that leak

Caulk leaks around window frame. Butyl and silicone caulks are recommended for longer wear. Be sure that the surfaces are dry and clean. If necessary, build an eave or overhang above the window so it is not exposed to a direct downpour in the future.

You can also install metal flashing above the window trim to help divert the rain. Use galvanized nails every inch or so, and apply caulking between flashing and wall.

Soggy insulation

Replace soaked insulation. Cellulose that has been treated with fire- proofing and vermin-proofing solutions can become acidic and corrode electrical wiring, nails, and other metal devices. Fiberglass becomes matted and ineffective.

Don't overlook DeadlineNews.Com's Storm Warning section and other Disaster Stories.

© 2008 DeadlineNews.Com

Advertise on DeadlineNews.Com

Get news that really hits home for your Web site or blog from DeadlineNews.Com.
Broderick Perkins, an award-winning consumer journalist of 30 years, is publisher and executive editor of San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews.Com, a real estate news and consulting service, and the new Deadline Newsroom, DeadlineNews.Com's new backshop. In both cases, it's where all the news really hits home.

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