What Is The Difference Between Flood Damage And Water Damage?

Has your home been damaged by flood or water? Perhaps you are surprised that there is a difference between flood and water-damaged property. While technically flood is caused by water, most homeowners’ insurance companies don’t consider it as a form of water damage. As far as they are concerned, there is a clear distinction between the two.

Flood Damage

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) defines flood as a general and impermanent situation of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land area or of 2 or more properties (at least one of which is the policyholder’s property) from:

• The overflow of inland or tidal waters

Inland waters are permanent water bodies located inland from the coastal zone. These include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and inland saline systems.

Tidal waters are legally defined as bodies of water that are subject to the ebb and flow of ordinary tides. Seas are an example.

• Atypical and fast build up or runoff of surface waters from any source 
• Mudflow  
• Cave in or subsidence of land along the shore of a lake or similar body of water due to erosion or undermining caused by waves or currents of water above predicted cyclical levels.

Water Damage

Generally, “water damage” as alluded to in insurance policies involves only the homeowner’s house and it is caused by unexpected events such as:

• Sewer backup and overflow
• Accidental or sudden pipe bursts 
• Severe rainstorms that soak through the roof

Water Damage does not usually include those that occurred over time due to things like:

• Plumbing or faucets that have been leaking for a long time that have damaged the ceilings, walls, or floors 
• Leaking water due to cracks in the foundation of the house
• Deteriorating parts of the roof that causes water to enter the house 

Homeowners have the responsibility of keeping their homes in great condition through cleanliness and regular maintenance.  The insurance companies would not pay for damages that happened due to their willful negligence.

To sum everything up, flood water comes from a natural source and affects two or more properties if affecting a residential area, or at least two acres if it floods a rural place. On the other hand, water damage involves only your own home and is caused by sudden problems with pipes and other house structures.

If you and your neighbors are troubled by rising waters because of torrential rains, then you are most likely dealing with a flood insurance claim. If the floor of your house is damaged due to an unexpected sewage backflow, then you are looking at a water damage claim.

Lastly, be sure that before you purchase a plan from an insurance company, you have reviewed and understood precisely what it covers and what it excludes. If it doesn’t include flood waters, consider getting one that does or get separate flood insurance coverage. Consider the pros and cons of every insurance policy that you consider and carefully make informed decisions. This will save you from undesirable problems in the future.

What Is The Difference Between Flood Damage And Water Damage? syndicated from https://restorationcrew.wordpress.com