Eastern Carolina knows the threat of floods all too well. Many remember the flooding which occured after Hurricane Floyd in 1999. That brought the issue of flood insurance to the forefront of many minds.
According to Cindy Challender, a Greenville insurance agent, a current homeowner or renter who wants to purchase flood insurance, must wait 30 days for the policy to take effect once the policy is purchased. The exception to that rule is anyone who is closing on a new house, then the insurance kicks in on the closing date.
A typical homeowner's insurance policy doesn't include flood insurance but a mobile home policy does. Anyone can buy flood insurance no matter where they live, if their community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Your local community planning department or inspections office should be able to tell you if your community takes part.
To learn more about flood insurance, you can call the National Flood Insurance hotline at 1-800-638-6620.
