LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) — As Hurricane Ian continues to move through Florida, citizens of the Commonwealth are getting a better idea of how flooding and hurricanes may impact their homes.
According to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, flooding can be one of the most costly natural disasters, but only about 3% of Virginians have flood insurance. For some homes, flood insurance is required if they are in high flood risk areas, however for homes in low risk areas, the policy is not required, and the the cost for insurance plans can be expensive.
Shanna Ferguson is an Insurance agent with Holley insurance and she says there are still things you can do to help prevent damage.
“Be aware of how your house sits on your property and where the lowest point is, maybe you need to be putting in some trench drains around your house so that it can run the water out away from the house, sometimes its just a matter of picking things off the floor, getting your storage up into the attic instead of that basement floor” said Ferguson.
Ferguson adds that many homeowners insurance policies now offer add-on endorsements that include flood protection. She says the best thing you can do is prepare ahead of time and keep your insurance agent in the know, adding that it can take 30 days for a policy to be put into place.
