Flood Coverage in a Basement—Seepage—Yes or No?

Seepage-Yes! Many homes may experience seepage into their basements after a season of snow or rain with ground saturation even though flood waters themselves did not enter the home. Damage caused by seepage, sewer backup, and hydrostatic pressure is covered by the Standard Flood Insurance Policy:

• when there is a flood in an area,
• when a flood is the cause of the seepage, sewer backup and hydrostatic pressure and
• when the basement meets the minimum standards of the NFIP.

Flood:
A flood is defined as a general or temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties (at least one of which is your property). A street may be considered a property when homes are not located within a reasonable distance from each other.

Basements:
Abasement is any area of a building having its floor below ground level on ALL sides. Flood insurance coverage is limited in basements. Damage in a basement may not be covered by flood insurance if it does not comply with the minimum standards of the National Flood Insurance Program. Basements-Yes! In a basement, building property coverage includes some mechanical items necessary for running the house such as a boiler, furnace, or water heater, and also items such as unfinished drywall for walls and ceilings, floor, nonflammable insulation, stairways and staircases attached to the building and clean-up. Personal property is a separate coverage from the building property coverage. In a basement, coverage includes air conditioning units, portable or window type, clothes washers and dryers, food freezers, other than walk in, and the food in any freezer.

What is not Covered:
Other personal items such as couches, chairs, televisions, carpet, beds and other items not listed above are NOT covered in a basement. Information courtesy of Fidelity National Property and Casualty Insurance Group. More information is available at www.floodsmart.gov .