Flooding hurts homes. As do tornadoes and earthquakes and fire. But flooding is the most widely reported disaster according to one statistic. And it can have incredibly damaging effects to a home, with thousands or tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage. Flooding is more prevalent than other kinds of disasters, according to one statistic.
Floods are the most widespread natural disaster aside from wildfires. 90% of all U.S. natural disasters declared by the President involve some sort of flooding.
90% if a large number, meaning that most of the natural disasters in the United States (though not necessarily the most deadly, causing the most lives lost and damage to property) are floods. Floods have some disastrous financial damage associated with them. There are some statistics that show this kind of damage.
These statistics show just how much damage a foot of water can do to a home, and just how high floods can rise if the flood is a flash flood. They show much the uptick is in a home when a flood hits and how much a sheet of drywall is affected by floodwater, even if the amount of flooding just a few inches. The statistics are as follows.
- A sheet of drywall standing upright with its edge sitting in a half inch of water can wick water up to 6 inches in less than three hours.
- Flash floods can bring walls of water from 10 to 20 feet high.
- Based on Floodsmart, a 2,000 square foot home undergoing one foot of water damage could cost more than $50,000.
- About 20% of all insurance claims related to water damage of some kind.
It’s important to have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance for these kinds of events, as they are not predictable but will likely happen especially in certain regions of the country. Flooding is a greater possibility in low lying lands that are close to water. Flooding is a greater possibility in areas where there is heavy rainfall.
Although it generally depends on how well a city drains waters, such as what their sewage system and water drainage system is like, flooding can still happen in different areas, and a homeowner or renter will likely experience financial damage if they don’t happen to have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance.
There are some statistics that show the importance of having renter’s or homeowner’s insurance, especially in places that are more disaster prone than others. Certain areas of the country (like California with fires or Oklahoma with tornadoes) experience a great deal of damage due to consistent events and natural disasters. The stats are as follows.
- In late February, tornadoes struck Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Harrisburg, Ill., experienced the most concentrated destruction, with more than 225 homes and businesses damaged or destroyed and an estimated $475 million in total damage.
- The average homeowners insurance premium rose by 6% in 2013, following a 5.6% increase in 2012, according to a February 2016 study by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
- A 2015 Insurance Information Institute poll conducted by ORC International found that 95% of homeowners had homeowners insurance but only 40% of renters had renters insurance.
- Insured losses due to natural disasters in the United States in 2015 totaled $16.1 billion, according to Munich Re, more than the $15.3 billion total for 2014.
- Severe thunderstorms losses, at $9.6 billion, accounted for about 60% of the 2015 insured losses.
- Winter storms and cold waves caused $3.5 billion in insured losses in 2015, almost double the 10-year average of $1.8 billion.
- Wildfires, heat waves and drought produced $1.9 billion in insured losses in 2015, below the 10-year average of $2.8 billion.
There are many terms associated with these kinds of natural disasters and how they affect homeowners and renters. They are mold removal, water leak repair, water leak detection, water damage California, after a house fire, home water damage, house fire damage repair, asbestos testing, mold cleanup, and more.
Water leak detection is an important part of any homeowner’s duties to monitor the home for damages. Water leak detection amounts to a system that detects when water is being leaked from other parts of the home. This can include piping systems as well as outdoor water systems that run into the home. Water leak detection helps in times of damage.
