Did You Know?

• Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters outside of fire
• 90% of all presidential-declared U.S. natural disasters involve flooding
• Floods occur within all 50 states (they can occur any time, anywhere)
• Communities particularly at risk are those in low lying areas, coastal areas, or downstream from large bodies of water
• 25% of flooding occurs outside areas formally designated as being flood prone (i.e. Special Flood Hazard Areas)
• Nation-wide, flooding caused more than $4 billion a year in losses and 2,200 deaths in the 1990’s
• There is a 26% chance of experiencing a flood during the life of a 30 year mortgage (more than 6 times the likelihood of a fire)
• Even minor flooding can cost homeowners thousands of dollars in losses and repairs
• Flood damage is virtually never covered by standard homeowners insurance
• Flood insurance purchased through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is relatively inexpensive (the average premium for $100,000 coverage is a little over $300 per year at this writing)
• Today NFIP insures more than 4 million policyholders in more than 19,000 communities in the U.S.
• Florida residents and businesses hold more than 40% of all flood insurance policies in the nation
• Palm Beach County has many programs to mitigate flood risks and assist residents before, during and after flood events

Primary Causes of Flooding in Palm Beach County

Several factors contribute to Palm Beach County’s flooding. Among these are rainfall intensity, rainfall duration, surface conditions, topography, and poor natural drainage. An increasingly significant contributing factor is rapid water runoff associated with the vast areas of impervious surfaces created by new development, often creating flood prone areas where they didn’t previously exist.

Flooding often occurs as a result of extended wet periods that create saturated soil conditions, after which additional rain causes surface ponding or overflows catchment canals and ponds.

Intense or prolonged concentrated rains are the primary causes of localized flooding throughout the county.

Maintenance of major drainage canals and pumps is critical to managing the area’s water levels, as is keeping neighborhood drainage systems free from obstructions. The task of managing water levels is slowed and complicated by our flat terrain.

Palm Beach County’s coastal areas are susceptible to storm-surge flooding…the sudden and massive build up of water levels by the force of onshore winds produced by tropical storms, hurricanes, and northeasterners. Water levels of 12 feet or more can overflow normally dry lands with devastating results. The severity of flooding can vary significantly based on a variety of factors such as storm intensity, forward speed, angle of attack, the slope of continental shelf, tidal conditions, etc. The northern and southern coastal areas of the county are somewhat more susceptible to surge flooding than are the central sections.

Improbable but very serious flood threats involve the potential overtopping of Lake Okeechobee or a breach of the Herbert Hoover Dike that helps contain the Lake. An event like the 1928 Hurricane flooding, which killed thousands in western Palm Beach County, remains a worst-case flood disaster scenario.

Do You Live in a High Risk Area?There are several ways of assessing your flood risk.  

If you live in a mandatory evacuation area and/or are required to have flood insurance, you can be virtually certain you live in a high flood risk area. These areas are referred to as “Special Flood Hazard Areas.”  

A second way of assessing your risk is to refer to a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) to determine the flood zone designation for the area in which your property resides. Flood zone designations are available for most, but not all areas. FIRM maps are available for public viewing at Palm Beach County’s Main Library, at most building departments, or at the Division of Emergency Management. Contact information is provided in other sections of this website. Assuming your area does appear on a FIRM map… zones designated as “A” or “V” are defined as higher risk areas. Other zone designations still may be subject to flooding, but less frequently and with less severity. (Flood zone designations, along with explanations, can be found in the “Do-It-Yourself” Assessment Tools section)

Coastal area residents should refer to a Storm Surge Map to determine their potential flood risk from tropical storms. These maps, prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, show peak surge inundation associated with Category 1, 3, and 5 hurricanes.

You can also check whether an elevation certificate for your property is on file with your insurance agency, lending institution or local building department. This document will tell you the elevation of the lowest level of your structure relative to the base flood elevation.

If you are new to an area or are considering the purchase of a home… in addition to checking the above sources, check with others living in the area to determine if there has been any history of flooding. Marshy vegetation like ferns and water seeking trees like cypress and melaleuca could be clues to a potential problem. Be sensitive to the elevations of surrounding homes, road crowns, etc. and to recent development projects that might create future runoff problems for you. Of course, be aware of the capacities of storm drainage systems in the area.

Do You Need Flood Insurance?

As we have stated earlier, flooding can occur anywhere, anytime. Even if you are not required to have flood insurance, serious consideration should be given to purchasing it anyway.

Homeowners insurance may cover fire and wind damage, but virtually never covers damage from flooding…nature’s most common natural disaster. Damages associated with floods can easily total $25,000 or more… sometimes much more.

Because Palm Beach County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, all county residents qualify to apply for NFIP flood insurance.

Without flood insurance, losses must be covered out of pocket. Some limited relief might be obtainable through government aid. But, government assistance is not available automatically. It is offered only when the President makes an official disaster declaration. Less than half of flooding events are “declared disasters”. Declarations require rather widespread damage. Most often, when government aid is available, it comes in the form of an interest bearing loan.

Flood insurance is mandatory if:

• your property resides in a Special Flood Hazard Area
• you have a federally backed mortgage on a home in a high risk area
• you have received a federal grant for previous flood losses and you wish to qualify for future aid

A flood policy can cover:

• flood debris cleanup
• structural damage (walls, ceilings, floors, stairways, etc.)
• household appliances/utilities damaged by floodwater
• wall to wall carpeting, tile and other flooring surfaces

Contents coverage can cover:

• furniture
• collectibles, artwork, knickknacks
• clothing, shoes, accessories, jewelry, etc.

Added coverages may be available for dislocation expenses such as rent, hotel stays, meals, etc.

The maximum coverage limits under a standard flood policy are $250,000 for a single family home structure ($500,000 for businesses) and $100,000 for single-family home contents (500,000 for businesses). The coverage limit for renter contents is $100,000.

Property owners living in lower risk areas may qualify for a “preferred risk” policy which provides the same coverage’s at substantially lower rates.

For More Information on Flood Insurance

Your homeowner’s insurance agent most likely can provide you with all the information you need and answer any questions you have. If not, additional information can be obtained directly from the National Flood Insurance Program 1-888-CALL-FLOOD You can access the NFIP website at WWW.FEMA.GOV/BUSINESS/NFIP 

NOAA’s National Weather Service 

The National Flood Program 

Florida Disaster.org – Flood Section
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