Protect your assets

Flood Insurance

Protect your assets

Flood Insurance

Photo: Andy Losee

Anywhere It Can Rain, It Can Flood.

Severe thunderstorms, flash floods from post-wildfire events, and poor drainage systems can result in flooding. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy covers direct and physical losses to your structure and belongings in the event of a flood. Most homeowners' and renters’ insurance does not cover flooding events. Just one inch of flood water can cause more than $25,000 in damage to your home or business. Purchasing flood insurance will help protect the things you value, with flood insurance you are able to recover more quickly after a flood.

High-Risk Flood Zones
A high risk flood zone is any area with a 1% chance or higher to experience flooding each year. Those areas have at least a one-in-four chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage. Flood risk mapping is always being added and updated online. If your area isn’t mapped digitally, historical flood risk maps may be available. Contact the Floodplain Mapping Program for more information.

Click anywhere on this map to see your flood risk

On flood risk maps, high risk flood zones are categorized as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) and are labeled with an A or V and are shaded blue. Flood zones labeled with X, C, or B and shaded orange or unshaded are low risk areas.
Low Risk does not equal No Risk!
It is important to understand your flood risk and be prepared for a flood event, even if you are in a low risk flood zone. Learn more about flood risk zones.
On flood risk maps, high risk flood zones are categorized as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) and are labeled with an A or V and are shaded blue. Flood zones labeled with X, C, or B and shaded orange or unshaded are low risk areas.
Low Risk does not equal No Risk!

It is important to understand your flood risk and be prepared for a flood event, even if you are in a low risk flood zone. Learn more about flood risk zones.

Click anywhere on this map to see your flood risk
The National Flood Insurance Program
Created by Congress in 1968, The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides flood insurance for property owners, renters, and businesses in participating communities. Check the Community Status Book Report to see if your community participates in the NFIP.
More Information
NFIP Participating Communities
Find an Insurance Agent
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Visit floodsmart.gov
Private Flood Insurance
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Over 30 homes were damaged by the January 2005 floods in southern Utah. These homes are along the Santa Clara River in Santa Clara.

Private flood insurance is another alternative to the NFIP. What makes private flood insurance different from the NFIP is that private insurance is not backed by the federal government. Private flood insurance doesn’t have the same restrictions as the NFIP and can offer coverage options such as replacement costs for personal property and can include temporary living expense coverage.

There are many benefits and disadvantages to either a private or federal flood insurance policy. It is always a good idea to speak to your insurance agent, read your policy exclusion, and see what works best for you. Find more information about flood insurance options with the Utah Insurance Department.

Utah Insurance Department
Federal Disaster Assistance
Federal disaster assistance is only made available when a Presidential Disaster is declared, in the state of Utah most flood events do not result in a declaration. Disaster assistance from FEMA and the US Small Business Administration (SBA) is only designed to help start the recovery process. It is not enough to restore your home, business, or property to pre-disaster conditions, and comes in the form of a loan that must be repaid. Flood insurance does not have to be paid back and is there to help restore your property. There is no better way to protect the life you built than with flood insurance.
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Flooding along State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 1983. Photo by S. Thiriot.