Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides. There is nothing uncommon about this in Kentucky. The onslaught of severe rains and their unrelenting ferocity across this tornado prone state leads to erosion of many hillsides, sending powerful and destructive muddy masses into numerous neighbourhoods, backyards and homes unfailingly every year.
Addressed differently as Mudflows, mudslides and landslides, these typically remain unpredictable events and the force with which they move down slopes can prove devastating for anything lying their paths. Estimates maintain that these cause about $2 billion in damages and deaths account for figures between 25 to 50 annually.
Kentuckians are unanimous in their agreement that irrespective of what occurs whether mudflows, mudslides or landslides, they prove major-and costly-headaches for homeowners.
If you reside in Kentucky and have a flood insurance policy from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), then, you can breathe easy with the cover for mud-caused loss or damage.
FEMA maintains that a mudflow is a river of liquid mud similar in consistency to a milkshake. Mudslides, on the other hand, are more viscous and solid. And a landslide is a rapid shift in landmass that is typically associated with periods of heavy rainfall.
Landslides are common to many states in America but Kentucky bears the brunt of some of the worst landslides. These worsen the effects of flooding that often accompanies them. If some landslides move slowly and cause gradual damage then, there are others which move so fast that they destroy property and take lives.
To minimize your risk, insurance officials advise:
- Take adequate insurance cover, both personal and for your property. Do not wait for a landslide to happen before you get down to it. Include any other additional cover like mud slide insurance, flood insurance, ALE cover to substantiate your basic homeowners policy.
- Simply taking an insurance policy does not make things easier. Plant ground cover on slopes and build retaining walls. Build trenches or channels to deflect the flow around buildings in potential mudflow areas. Know that if you divert a mudflow or any water and it crosses to a neighbour's property, you may be liable for damages.
- Find out and take an affordable NFIP policy to cover flood and mudflow damage. This is available with many local insurance agencies. Remember that you do need to live in a flood plain to qualify for a Flood Insurance or be vulnerable to flood damages. NFIP displays figures between 20 and 25 percent of its national claims, which come from outside the deemed high flood-risk areas. Its Preferred Risk Policy is available for about $180 a year ($50,000 of residential building coverage and $15,000 content coverage) and is designed for residential properties located in low-to-moderate flood-risk zones.
- Note that the premium for an NFIP residential policy averages about $460 annually for a $50,000 cover for a building. It can amount to about $20,000 content cover. More often than not the premium is comparatively inexpensive if one looks at the alternative of paying for repairs out of one’s pocket or with borrowed funds.
Tips for Kentuckians
- No Homeowner policies covers flood damages. Flood insurance protects your home and its contents. (Separate policies are required for these however.)
- When you file a flood insurance claim, it is possible to request a partial payment immediately and you can start recovery faster.
- Flood insurance can be purchased even at a time when your home, apartment or business has been flooded.
- Note that assistance via FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (providing assistance for temporary housing as well as other necessary unmet disaster-related needs) is only available when a presidential disaster declaration is issued. On the other hand, those with flood insurance can file claims with or without a disaster declaration.
- Flood insurance claims are paid by you as a policyholder through your premiums, and not by the taxpayers.
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