In the United States, only about 15% of homes have flood insurance. In a country with over 125 million households, that is a lot of unprotected homeowners and businesses. Floods are one of the most common natural disasters in the US. The average cost for repairing damages after floods are $42,000 per household and $1 billion per incident.
In this post, we will outline some statistics related to flooding in America and offer advice on how to find out if you're at risk for flooding near your home.
Top Flood Insurance Statistics:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Number Of U.S. Homes With Flood Insurance
How Many Households Have Flood Insurance In America?
Only 15% of all homes in the United States are protected by private insurance for floods, and over 1/3rd, or nearly 4 million houses, in the Gulf Coast region alone are at risk of flood damage.
Which States Have The Highest Percentage Of Flood-Insured Houses?
Flood insurance coverage in Louisiana is at 45 percent, which is the greatest proportion in the country. Given that Katrina destroyed the state, this should not come as a surprise. The bulk of these insurance payments are paid for with public flood insurance endowments. Florida is the second-largest state in terms of population, with 36% of its people. Hawaii (23%), South Carolina (16%), and New Jersey (11%) are among the top five states.
Number Of U.S. Homes Without Flood Insurance
How Many U.S. Households Are Without Flood Insurance?
The majority of homes (85 percent or 9 out of 10) in the United States are not protected against floods. The number of houses without flood insurance in the United States is quite large, especially in high-risk areas like Iowa and Nebraska. These numbers are concerning, suggesting that we must consider flooding to be a serious threat.
Which States Have The Lowest Percentage Of Flood-Insured Houses?
When it comes to not having flood insurance, Minneapolis and Utah are at the top of the list. When compared to other states, Minnesota and Utah have the lowest rate of flood insurance in the United States. Because there aren't many flood-insured homes in these states, their numbers are worrisome. If we consider that no state is immune from flooding, these statistics are cause for concern. According to NFIP and FEMA records, only 0.6% of homes in Minnesota are insured like in Utah, according to official figures.
Flood Claims & U.S. Flood Insurance Statistics
How Much Is The Typical Claim For Flood Damage?
The national average for flood insurance claims is $42,000. But the total amount of flood insurance claims each year is significant at about $2 billion. And don't forget that flood insurance claims may not just be for property damage, but can include other financial costs including wages being lost because of time spent cleaning up the mess.
Key Statistics:
General Flooding Statistics In The U.S.
The graph below shows the five-year average survival and failure rates for different industries, with the higher percentage representing a more significant number of business failures. These statistics were calculated using a weighted ranking of each industry’s survival rate over the past five years to show which industries have higher and lower success rates and their average across all periods.
Floods Are The Most Prevalent Natural Hazard In The United States
Did you know that floods are the most significant natural hazard in terms of fatalities and property damage in the United States? They can occur at any time of year, almost everywhere, greatly increasing the likelihood of home flooding across the country. According to statistics, heavy rainfall is now the most prevalent source of property damage in most situations. Hurricanes, snowstorms, and snowmelt are also significant long-term property water damage causes.
No Part Of The United States Is Beyond The Reach Of Flooding
There is no place in the United States where flash floods aren't possible. All 50 states are vulnerable to flooding, which means there's no such thing as a "safe location" where you can buy a home and sleep well at night knowing that rains won't surprise your region. Hurricanes costing the country hundreds of billions of dollars each year cause flooding in the United States. Flooding is a major problem in the United States, and its lack of awareness and up-to-date flood maps are two of the main reasons people ignore it.
Floods Are The Most Deadly Weather Related Catastrophes In The U.S.
The number of deaths caused by floods in the United States decreased in 2018 when compared to previous years. Floods, however, remain the deadliest weather-related calamity in US history, having claimed 80 lives last year; the average number of fatalities linked with floods is 82 (annually). The most deadly flood year in American history was 2015. Flood statistics going back to 1995 show that 2015 had the highest number of flood-related deaths — 176. Since then, they have fallen dramatically to "only" 80 in 2018.
Around 2,000 People Perished On Account Of Hurricane Katrina
The deadliest recent natural catastrophe, Hurricane Katrina, claimed the lives of approximately 2,000 people. It caused widespread destruction and left thousands of people homeless in New Orleans and the surrounding areas. According to national flood loss reports, the 2005 hurricane cost the US $161 billion in damages with wind speeds of over 280 km/h.
Concluding Thoughts
Taking Action
Flooding can strike in any number of places. We've looked at the statistics on how many homes in the United States have flood insurance and which states are most susceptible to flooding. It turns out that over a third of American homes don't have any coverage, which is essentially a financial disaster waiting to happen if we don't do anything about it.
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