Category: Flood Insurance

Floods are among the top and most destructive natural disasters worldwide, especially in Pinellas County. For businesses operating in flood-prone areas, the risk of property damage, business interruption, and financial loss due to flooding is a constant concern. While many businesses invest in mitigation measures, one crucial component of their resilience strategy is flood insurance, which can provide a lifeline in the event of a flood.

Key Benefits of Flood Insurance for Businesses

There are benefits you will want to speak with the insurance agent about, and these are the primary ones you will not want to leave out. 

• Property Protection: For businesses, property is a valuable asset. Flood insurance ensures that the financial burden of repairing or replacing damaged property is significantly reduced in the event of a flood. This can be a lifeline for business owners, allowing them to get back on their feet more quickly.
• Business Interruption Coverage: Beyond property damage, floods can lead to business interruptions. This means lost income, increased expenses, and potential customer loss. Flood insurance can include business interruption coverage, compensating businesses for lost income, and assisting with additional expenses incurred during the disruption.
• Asset Protection: Businesses often store valuable equipment, inventory, and supplies. Flood insurance protects these assets from damage or loss during a flood event, ensuring that businesses can continue their operations without significant setbacks.
• Legal and Regulatory Compliance: In some cases, businesses located in high-risk flood areas may be required by law to have flood insurance. Compliance with these regulations avoids potential legal issues and ensures that businesses have the protection they need when floods strike.

Zenith Insurance Group Can Help You

At Zenith Insurance Group, we can help answer questions concerning flood insurance. We serve the Pinellas County area. Contact us today. 

Flood insurance is an important type of coverage that will be offered separately from your home insurance policy. For this reason, you must carefully evaluate your location’s propensity to flood, and Zenith Insurance Group can help you with this determination. 

How Do I Know if I Need Flood Insurance?

Pinellas County homeowners are not required by law to obtain flood insurance, but a mortgage lender will compel you to purchase this protection if you live in a moderate to a high-risk area, especially if they are backed by the government. 

FEMA produces a flood map that will show you the topography of your area and is updated every few years to keep up with changes in climate, new housing developments, and differences in the landscape. 

This resource has data on the projected frequency of flooding, its severity, and potential elevations. Historical flooding is very important information to consider, as even a small chance of flooding can prove significant when that event is typically catastrophic. 

Identifying flood planes is vital, as this isn’t always obvious just from visual observation. You may live in a low-lying region that is prone to wet weather streams, or you may be at the bottom of a hill on a city street that does not have adequate drainage.

There may be culverts and ditches that overflow onto your property during heavy rains, or you may live near a river or stream. Gullies can fill past capacity, creating dangerous conditions that lead to flash flooding. 

Put Zenith Insurance Group to Work for You 

Pinellas County residents can count on us to meet their insurance needs, and we will do everything possible to properly insure you. Reach out to us by phone, send us an email, or stop at our office, and we can discuss your situation in more detail. 

Flooding is something that happens often, and not always where you think it will. Flooding is the most common disaster in the U.S., and it’s also the one that costs the most in damages. Homeowners in the U.S. end up owing millions of dollars in damages every year thanks to floods. If you are interested in getting flood insurance, call us today at Zenith Insurance Group in Pinellas County.

Where Flooding Happens

Flooding can be caused by a number of factors. It can happen with storm surge, snowfall that melts, excessive rains, clogged storm drains, broken dams, etc. Many people think that because they don’t like near the water, they aren’t in danger of being flooded. However, nearly every county in the U.S. has experienced flooding in the past 25 years. Flooding can happen just about anywhere, and it’s important to be protected in case it happens to you. Standard homeowners’ insurance does not cover flooding. That’s why flood insurance is so important. 

Getting Flood Insurance

It’s a common idea that you only need to have flood insurance when you live in a high-risk flood zone. It’s important insurance to have if you live in one of these zones, but it is important in other areas as well. More than 20% of the country’s flood claims are from areas that are not in high-risk areas. That makes it important for people outside of those zones to have coverage as well. If you do live in a high-risk area and have gotten assistance in the past for flooding, you may be required to have this insurance. If you don’t, you may be ineligible for other disaster aid in the future. 

Get Your Flood Insurance

If you think you may need flood insurance, you can call us at Zenith Insurance Group in Pinellas County.