New Hampshire residents that live in FEMA-designated high-risk flood zones may be asked to purchase an additional flood insurance policy to meet your mortgage lender’s requirements.
Flood damage is not covered by a typical homeowners insurance policy. This is because flooding accounts for over 90% of all natural disasters in the United States, and flooding impacts numerous buildings at once—this makes it too risky to cover under any standard policy.
Despite this, according to a 2020 Insurance Information Institute (III)
survey, only 27% of US homeowners own flood insurance. That could be because many aren't aware that floods aren't protected by their current home insurance until it's too late. Because of the current increase in catastrophic weather events, understanding your state’s flood insurance standards is more important than ever.
That’s why the home and car insurance
super app Jerry
has put together everything you have to know about flood insurance in New Hampshire—continue reading to learn more. What is flood insurance?
Flood insurance is a type of property insurance that covers financial damages caused by flooding.
Your standard home insurance policy covers most water damage caused by plumbing issues, but will not cover you if your property or possessions are damaged by a flood. This is why purchasing a supplemental flood insurance plan can be so important.
What does flood insurance cover?
Flood insurance comes in two types:
Building coverage, which protects the structure of your home
Contents coverage, which protects your personal belongings (like furniture, appliances, rugs, jewels, electronics, etc.)
But keep in mind flood insurance does not cover every item in your house—or every instance of flooding. Sewer backups that are not directly caused by large floods will not be covered. Money, vehicles, belongings in basements, or increased living expenses due to a flood will also not be included in your typical coverage.
Here's a more detailed explanation of what each kind of insurance does and doesn’t cover:
| | |
|---|
| Electrical and plumbing systems
Water heaters and furnaces
Large appliances (like dishwashers or fridges)
Permanent paneling, cabinets, and bookcases
Permanent carpets
Window blinds
Foundational anchorages, staircases, and walls
Detached garages
Fuel tanks, solar panels, and well water pumps/tanks | Decks and patios
Pools
Fences and landscaping |
| Clothes
Furniture
Electronic gear
Curtains
Washing and dryer machines
Portable air conditioners (including window units)
Carpets not included in building coverage
Valuables such as heirlooms up to $2,500 | Valuable papers
Currency
Anything placed in a basement |
MORE: Does home insurance cover flooded basements?
Do you need to purchase flood insurance in New Hampshire?
The short answer: possibly!
There is no federal or state requirement that all homeowners must obtain flood insurance. But anyone applying for a federally-backed mortgage may find flood insurance a requirement if they live in a flood-prone area.
If you reside in a place where flooding is a moderate or high risk, your mortgage lender will almost certainly ask you to buy flood insurance.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and it supplies flood insurance for homes based on FEMA's risk assessment. Though the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is in charge of flood insurance, the real plan will be issued by a commercial company such as GEICO
or Allstate. You don't even have to live in a FEMA-designated high-risk area to qualify for flood insurance! Anyone can purchase flood insurance, and it's a smart idea if you reside in a high-risk flood zone—like southern New Hampshire.
Residents who live outside of FEMA's designated high-risk flood zones actually file more than 40% of NFIP claims!
To acquire NFIP-backed flood insurance in New Hampshire, you have to live in one of the participating communities (see this FEMA guide
!). If your town isn't listed, you can still get flood insurance with private insurers like FloodSimple or Neptune. What flood zones require flood insurance in New Hampshire?
Federal flood insurance requirements will apply to New Hampshire homeowners with property located in flood zones labeled grade A or V. Over the length of a 30-year mortgage, these areas have a 26% probability of flooding.
If you live in a flood zone classified B, C, D, or X, your flood risk is reduced (though not nonexistent), and you are not obligated to get flood insurance.
Use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center
or Flood Factor®
to figure out your home's level of risk. Key Takeaway You’ll have to purchase flood insurance if you live in a high-risk flood zone (letters A or V) and possess a federal mortgage.
How much does flood insurance cost in New Hampshire?
While the national average price of flood insurance is $739 per year, rates in New Hampshire are a little steeper at about $1,075 per year.
The NFIP launched a pricing methodology in 2021 known as the Risk Rating 2.0. This system estimates around 23% of flood insurance rates nationwide will decrease by April 2022—but about 14% of policies in New Hampshire are estimated to rise at least $10 over the same period.
The cost of flood insurance depends on where you reside, the type and size of home you're insuring, how old the property is, and other variables.
The coverage limits for residential clients are typically $250,000 for building coverage and $100,000 for contents coverage. Your provider may also set the deductible limit on your coverage.
MORE: Signs of a flood damaged car
How to save money on flood and car insurance in New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, you can save money on flood insurance by doing the following:
Selecting a higher deductible
Obtaining and submitting an elevation certificate
to your insurance provider Choosing only content coverage
It’s important to remember that flood insurance does not cover damage to vehicles. To keep your car covered in case of a flood, check out the Jerry
app. After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers, Jerry will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. They can even help cancel your old policy.
Jerry helps its users save $887 a year on their car insurance—those savings can help you when it comes to purchasing flood insurance in New Hampshire!
“Jerry
was fast and easy to use. Their customer service was so helpful in helping me navigate the situation my state is dealing with. Now I’m saving an extra $100 every 6 months!” —Tony C.
4.7
