At 9 P.M. on July 19, 1997, the first thundershowers gave a welcome relief to the 90-degree heat in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Just after midnight, two local rivers began overflowing their high-channeled walls and the flood that experts said could never happen became a reality. The final toll...more than 7,300 families affected, 70 persons dead, 400 homes completely destroyed, and 343 small businesses either destroyed or severely damaged.

The potential for this kind of disaster is just as great today. The leveling of forests and overbuilding of lands have meant that soil can no longer absorb excess water the way it once did. So with little warning, a storm can turn into a devastating flood – even if you don’t live near a river or stream.

Flooding as a National Problem

Until the late 1960s, most property owners were unable to get insurance against flood damage. Private insurance firms, aware of the potential for catastrophic losses, were unwilling to assume the financial risk alone. This put the burden on taxpayers to provide costly disaster relief to a growing number of flood victims.

In 1968, Congress addressed this issue by creating the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This federal program provided flood insurance at a reasonable cost in exchange for the careful management of flood-prone areas by local communities.

Today,the NFIP serves nearly two million policyholders in 17,000 communities across the country. It is currently being administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its Federal Insurance Administration.

Your Homeowners Policy Isn’t Enough

Losses due to flooding are not covered under most Homeowners policies. You can, however, protect your home and its contents through the NFIP, if your community is participating in the program.

To become eligible, a community first enters the emergency phase of the NFIP by adopting preliminary actions to reduce flood threat. Everyone in that community can then apply for limited amounts of flood insurance at federally subsidized rates.

Much higher levels of insurance become available when a community qualifies for the regular program phase. This occurs after FEMA has conducted a detailed flood study, and local officials have enacted more stringent measures to safeguard life and property from future flooding.

To find out more about flood insurance and whether your community is eligible, please call 713-779-4999.