COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Homeowners who lost everything in flooding from Hurricane Helen are facing a new harsh reality.
They don’t have flood insurance, so their losses may not be covered.
For most homeowners in South Carolina, flood insurance tends to be an afterthought.
Only 5% of South Carolina residents have flood insurance, and less than 1% here in the Midlands.
“Flood insurance is evaluated as a different type of risk than property insurance. It has always been sold as a separate coverage,” said Mark Friedlander, a spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute.
Mark Friedlander of the Insurance Information Institute says even if you don’t live in a flood zone, it’s best to be prepared just in case.
“The national flood insurance program provides coverage similar to that provided by private insurance companies for flood-related losses,” Friedlander said.
The National Flood Insurance Program uses data provided by FEMA to determine who is most at risk of flooding.
However, many believe that these maps are outdated.
“Updating data to better understand current flood risk and flood risk for decades to come is critical,” said Kevin Reed, associate professor of climate at Stony Brook University. .
FEMA currently believes 8.7 million properties are at significant risk of flooding, but the First Street Foundation study suggests that number should increase by 70% to 14.6 million. got it.
“When we think about designing our cities, our roads, our transportation systems, our agricultural systems, our healthcare systems, it’s important that we design around the fact that the world has changed, the weather has changed. It has changed,” Reid said. .
Dr. Reed said there was a 5 to 10 percent increase in rainfall associated with the hurricane.
According to Global Change by 2050, South Carolina is expected to rank sixth in the nation for flood risk.
