Nature always fights on its own terms and periodically exacts a heavy toll in terms of property damage. In this context, Tropical Storm Allison was an extremely rare event - with rainfall of dangerous intensity that spawned "off-the-charts" rainfall and flooding levels in many heavily populated parts of Harris County.

Even if you are not moved by the physical danger such a storm presents, consider this: Repaying a $50,000 flood-related loan from the Small Business Administration costs about $300 a month over many years, while the average flood insurance policy usually runs about $300 annually. The savings in money and misery are obvious.



Visit the National Flood Insurance Website, http://www.floodsmart.gov or contact your insurance agent.

Three new quick reference sheets have been created to help citizen learn more about FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps, flood insurance and how the new maps might affect them. To view these quick reference sheets or a FEMA grandfathering fact sheet click on the following links:

• Flood Insurance Rate Maps (PDF, 34KB)
• Flood Insurance (PDF, 37KB)
• A New Understanding - Coping with Changes (PDF, 41KB)
• FEMA Flood Insurance Grandfathering Rule (PDF, 2.2MB)

Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Allison has taught thousands of us a very expensive lesson: Just because your home is not mapped within the 1% (100-year) floodplain does not mean that you are safe from potential floods. Tens of thousands of residences flooded because rainfall amounts were either greater than the 1% (100-year) levels, or runoff from the extremely intense rains could not drain fast enough to prevent localized ponding from reaching the inside of a home.

Nationally, one-third of flood loss claims are from property located outside of the mapped 1% (100-year) floodplain. Almost two-thirds of the flooding during Allison was outside the 1% regulatory floodplain. It's easy to see that flood insurance is not just for people who live in the 1% (100-year) regulatory floodplain. Allison proved to be a frightening example of that fact.

While Allison certainly flooded a large number of people living outside the 1% floodplain, it could have been much worse. The Tropical Storm Allison Technical Report looks at what would have happened if the worst part of Allison had hit the Addicks or Barker Reservoirs or the upper parts of White Oak, Buffalo, or Brays Bayou. The maps section contains maps for each other studied watershed and shows how bad things could have been if Allison had been a few miles to the West.

If your home is located below the base flood elevation you are more likely to flood than have your home burglarized or your car stolen. Because the federal government subsidizes Flood Insurance, its costs are low compared to other forms of insurance.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), administered by FEMA, makes flood insurance available to any resident of Harris County and incorporated cities within the county. For a homeowner, flood insurance covers structure and content losses that occur from flooding. For a renter, it covers contents. Remember that flood insurance is not included in your standard homeowner's or renter's policy. You must purchase it separately, but the cost usually averages just a few hundred dollars per year. It is sold through private insurance companies and is financially backed by the federal government. You can learn more about the NFIP at http://www.floodsmart.gov or by contacting your insurance agent.

It is important for homeowners to know their risk of flooding so that they can make informed decisions and take proper steps to reduce those risks. New technology is providing citizens with a better understanding and knowledge of their flood risks, but that knowledge can have a cost. Citizens may now be required by their lender to purchase flood insurance for the first time or see their rate classification change because new technology has revealed that they have always been living in a higher risk area. To help with these costs the National Flood Insurance Program has a Grandfathering Rule.

The Grandfathering Rule allows homeowners who purchase flood insurance before the new maps are released to pay the lower rate associated with either the old or new FEMA FIRMs. For example, a homeowner who is currently not mapped in the 1% floodplain but will be inside the 1% floodplain when the new maps become affective will be able to pay the lower insurance rates associated with living outside the 1% floodplain. The homeowner will continue to pay these lower rates as long as they continue to renew their policy. These saving are even transferable to another owner should the current owner sell the house in the future.

There are certain requirements that must be met to qualify for the Grandfathering Rule. Please contact your local insurance agent or the NFIP for more information about flood insurance and the Grandfathering Rule.