LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Flooding from storms over the weekend washed away prized possessions, damaged homes, and left muddy, rocky messes for southern Nevadans. On the heels of the major weather maker, and with monsoon season ongoing, many in the Las Vegas valley are contemplating flood insurance, asking when it is necessary, and when it isn’t.
Mark Coolman, vice president of NFP, an insurance company, recommends it, and said that every home in the country is in a designated flood zone.
“Unfortunately, once water hits the ground, and it moves, that is considered a flood,” said Coolman, adding that when purchasing flood insurance, it’s important to track a home’s elevation and the path water takes when flowing down the neighborhood street.
Coolman said failing to purchase insurance means a homeowner will be paying for any repairs in the event of a catastrophic flood, and recommends surveying the chances of a homeowner’s property being damaged by a flood.
According to Risk Factor, a tool created by the nonprofit First Street Foundation which says it is dedicated to making “climate risk accessible, easy to understand and actionable for individuals, governments, and industry,” more than 6,000 properties in Clark County have a greater than 26% chance of being severely affected by flooding over the next 30 years.
