HOUSTON — Hurricane season is officially underway. Experts say now is the time to get flood insurance.
There’s a big push to share that message in the Houston area Wednesday.
There will be a press conference following Houston City Council with Mayor John Whitmire, the Houston Association of Realtors and Clear Channel Outdoor, who will be launching a new campaign.
RELATED: 2024 Hurricane Preparedness Guide
There will be 150 billboards going up all over town urging people to get flood insurance now. Most people probably don’t realize home insurance policies don’t cover floods.
Here’s a staggering statistic. Officials say more than 70 percent of the homes that flooded during Hurricane Harvey did not have flood insurance.
Gilbert Giron is a regional flood insurance liaison with FEMA. He recently talked to KHOU 11’s Grace White about how much insurance a family needs.
"Homeowners can purchase the level of flood insurance they can afford, even a $100,000 of flood insurance is better than nothing at all,” Giron said.
Some things to keep in mind, the average flood policy costs about $700 a year.
If you live outside a high-risk flood zone, you can usually find a policy for less than $500 a year. That covers your home up to $250,000.
You will need a separate policy for belongings, which renters can get to. However, remember that policy doesn’t go into effect immediately.
There’s usually a 30-day waiting period. That’s why you don’t want to wait until a storm is already heading our way.