Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner

Important note for property owners in the Green River Valley:

A weakened abutment adjacent to the Howard Hanson Dam means that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may have to release more water than usual to avoid stressing the dam.

Because of the heightened risk of flooding from these releases, our office is strongly recommending that property owners in the area consider getting federal flood insurance immediately. We've built this web page with information about federal coverage, typical costs, and disaster preparation tips.

Businesses in the area have also been struggling to find coverage above the federal commercial flood insurance maximum of $500,000 for buildings and $500,000 for contents. We have some suggestions here and here.

Our office is also considering asking state lawmakers for more power to intervene in cases like this when an insurance market essentially dries up.

Finally, here's a one-page FAQ about flood coverage, including waiting periods, when and where to find extra coverage, how to find out your flood risk, and more.

Also, Washington's state's Emergency Management Division has extensive information about flooding and steps you can do to avoid damage and protect against losses. They've also posted a lengthy section with myths and facts about the National Flood Insurance Program, such as the myth that the NFIP won't cover anything in the basement. (It covers many things, including furnaces, water heaters, sump pumps, washers/dryers, staircases, some drywall, cleaning and the foundation.)

The EMD also has extensive information on pumping out basements, what do after draining it, mold, sandbagging, and how to protect a home from sewer backups during flooding.

Flood insurance

Contrary to what many people think, homeowner or commercial policy typically does not cover damage caused by flooding. To protect your property, you must buy a flood insurance policy. Flood insurance provides coverage for the following structures and their contents:

  • Homes and secondary houses
  • Farm buildings
  • Condominiums
  • Apartments
  • Municipal and commercial buildings

Flooding includes inland or tidal water overflow, fast-moving erosion, surface water run off from any source, abnormal tidal surges, and mudflows.

If your property is located in an area with a high chance of flooding (also called a Special Flood Hazard Area), your lender will require you to have this coverage for the life of your loan.

You also may want to buy flood insurance if you live in a minimal or moderate flood hazard area. You can check your flood risk by typing the property address into the "One-Step Flood Risk Profile" from the National Flood Insurance Program.

For commonly asked questions about flood insurance, see this page.

It's important to know that there are limits to federal flood coverage. For commercial structures, for example, the National Flood insurance Program maximum is $500,000 for the building and $500,000 for the contents. For suggestions on what do do if you need more coverage than that, please see this page.



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