Flood Insurance

TO THE DEATH and destruction left in Hurricane Sandy's wake, add this concern: One of the federal government's key programs for coping with such disaster is itself underwater. We refer to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which protects 5.6 million customers in 21,000 communities across the country — both coastal and inland — against losses from inundation. The NFIP has $1.25 trillion of coverage in force, of which just under half is in seaside areas such as the Jersey Shore.

LAST OCTOBER, Hurricane Sandy leveled buildings across the New York City area. How the region rebuilds matters not just to the region's millions of residents but to everyone who pays federal taxes. The Senate, after all, just approved $60 billion in supplemental aid for Sandy victims, a big-ticket reminder that, when disaster strikes, the country is often on the hook. And, scientists say, disaster is going to become increasingly likely in coastal areas as warmer global temperatures slowly but steadily raise sea levels.

Ten years ago, architect Sarah Susanka published a coffee table book called "The Not So Big House. " The premise of the book was that we should build smaller but nicer. It was a counterstatement to the McMansions sprouting up in developments all over the country, with their double-height ceilings, vast basements and $100,000 kitchens. Back in 1998, it seemed like a quaint idea. But Susanka clearly touched a nerve, as her "Not So Big" idea has grown into a multimillion-dollar franchise, with several books and a successful Web...

When a natural disaster strikes, our character can be tested. Such is the case facing members of a family who became homeless after Hurricane Sandy ravaged parts of the East Coast in the fall. During a recent online discussion, I received a question from a reader asking what to do to help relatives who lost their house in New York. But, the reader noted, the family had also "squandered" a $300,000 inheritance received a few years ago, buying luxury items such as "two expensive cars, a high-end computer and tech...

This month marks the start of the six-month hurricane season, and Prince George's County residents are advised to be prepared for severe weather and flooding. The county participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and a related program, the Community Rating System, which documents the county's flood-management activities. Because of the county's Class 5 rating, residents can receive a 25 percent reduction on flood insurance premiums. The county's Department of Environmental Resources has conducted flood-plain studies in most of the urbanized watersheds...

Many homeowners have the decision about flood insurance made for them. If their houses are in high-risk zones, their lenders require insurance. So they buy it. But people with properties that the government deems relatively safe from flooding can also buy insurance, through the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program as well as from private insurers. "You need to look at that as carefully as you look at your homeowners insurance," said Kimberly Lankford, author of "The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on...

As the Northeast struggles with the aftermath of the massive storm Sandy, many experts say the government for years has underestimated how much of the nation is prone to flooding, given the increasing likelihood of extreme weather because of climate change and the prospect of future sea level rise. These experts, who include not only environmentalists but also community planners, insurers and fiscal conservatives, have pressed agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency to...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Insurance agents in states along the swollen Missouri River say federal officials are causing widespread confusion by pushing the sale of flood insurance policies that might not cover damage from the current flooding. The insurance companies say policies specify that only those purchased at least two months before the damage happened will cover it. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency is telling landowners to buy the insurance anyway, and that some damage might be covered under the insurance...

One of the dirty little secrets of borrowing money to buy your home is that your lender has the legal right to insure your home against fire, casualty and flood and stick you with the bill. That legal right arises from a clause in virtually all deeds of trust that, in effect, states that it is up to you to provide your lender with written evidence that your fire/casualty/flood insurance is in full force and effect. If you fail to provide this written evidence every year, your lender has the right to buy that "force-placed"...

With rain flooding the Washington area, many homeowners may end up looking to their insurance to cover water damage to their homes or belongings. But standard homeowners insurance doesn't cover flooding, warns the federal government Web site FloodSmart.gov , and that can be a costly omission. "Just a few inches of water from a flood can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage," the government site says. "From 2007 to 2011, the average residential flood claim amounted to almost $30,000.

TO THE DEATH and destruction left in Hurricane Sandy's wake, add this concern: One of the federal government's key programs for coping with such disaster is itself underwater. We refer to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which protects 5.6 million customers in 21,000 communities across the country — both coastal and inland — against losses from inundation. The NFIP has $1.25 trillion of coverage in force, of which just under half is in seaside areas such as the Jersey Shore.

As the Northeast struggles with the aftermath of the massive storm Sandy, many experts say the government for years has underestimated how much of the nation is prone to flooding, given the increasing likelihood of extreme weather because of climate change and the prospect of future sea level rise. These experts, who include not only environmentalists but also community planners, insurers and fiscal conservatives, have pressed agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rethink...

With rain flooding the Washington area, many homeowners may end up looking to their insurance to cover water damage to their homes or belongings. But standard homeowners insurance doesn't cover flooding, warns the federal government Web site FloodSmart.gov , and that can be a costly omission. "Just a few inches of water from a flood can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage," the government site says. "From 2007 to 2011, the average residential flood claim amounted to almost $30,000.

Surround yourself with wildlife on Chincoteague Island, the inhabited neighbor to the federally protected Assateague Island, a wildlife sanctuary that boasts more than 320 species of birds in addition to the famous wild horses. With more than 37 miles of sandy beach and miles of hiking and biking trails, Assateague Island offers ample vacation entertainment. You can go crabbing or fishing in designated areas, look for herons and egrets or, naturally, commune with the wild ponies. The property we identified...

When you drive onto Hatteras Island, crossing the Oregon Inlet Bridge just south of Nags Head, your first impression is endless ocean and sandy beach. The barrier island is surrounded by water with spits of land jutting out, and the first 10 miles or so is protected national park land. As you drive down the highway, all you'll see are sand dunes, sea grass and the birds on the sound to your right. Hatteras Island is famous for its surfing, wind boarding and sport fishing, as well as for the recent damage from Hurricane Irene.

Prince William Board of County Supervisors unanimously decided Tuesday that it wants a Circuit Court judge to settle a dispute among the owner of a mobile home park, the county's zoning appeals board and county officials. Holly Acres Mobile Home Park in Woodbridge was one of the hardest hit communities after Tropical Storm Lee pummeled Northern Virginia in September. Residents were evacuated, and county emergency crews had to rescue several people who were trapped in rising waters.

LAST OCTOBER, Hurricane Sandy leveled buildings across the New York City area. How the region rebuilds matters not just to the region's millions of residents but to everyone who pays federal taxes. The Senate, after all, just approved $60 billion in supplemental aid for Sandy victims, a big-ticket reminder that, when disaster strikes, the country is often on the hook. And, scientists say, disaster is going to become increasingly likely in coastal areas as warmer global temperatures slowly but steadily raise sea levels.

Five Bowie residents have filed claims for city insurance compensation for flood damage to their houses that they say is the city's fault. Two residents on Sadler Lane say the city failed to clear storm drains before Tropical Storm Lee dumped more than five inches of rain on Bowie on Sept. 7 and 8, causing what one of them estimated was $30,000 in damage to his house and belongings. However, city officials contend that so much rain fell during the storm that no amount of maintenance would have prevented flooding.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Insurance agents in states along the swollen Missouri River say federal officials are causing widespread confusion by pushing the sale of flood insurance policies that might not cover damage from the current flooding. The insurance companies say policies specify that only those purchased at least two months before the damage happened will cover it. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency is telling landowners to buy the insurance anyway, and that some damage might be covered under the insurance...