Flood Insurance

The City of Talent participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that makes available federally backed flood insurance for all structures, whether or not they are located within the floodplain. More than 25 percent of NFIP claims are filed by properties located outside of the 100-year floodplain, also known as the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Following the purchase of flood insurance, NFIP imposes a 30-day waiting period, so residents should purchase insurance before the onset of the rainy season to ensure coverage during the flood season.

Membership within NFIP – and the availability of flood insurance to City of Talent residents – requires the City to manage its floodplain in ways that meet or exceed standards set by FEMA.  NFIP insures buildings with two types of coverage: structural and contents.

Structural coverage includes:

• The insured building and its foundation
• The electrical and plumbing system
• Central air conditioning equipment, furnaces, and water heaters
• Refrigerators, cooking stoves, and built-in appliances such as dishwashers
• Permanently installed carpeting over unfinished flooring

Content coverage includes:

• Clothing, furniture, and electronic equipment
• Curtains
• Portable and window air conditioners
• Portable microwaves and dishwashers
• Carpeting that is not already included in property coverage
• Clothing washers and dryer

Federal financial assistance requires the purchase of flood insurance for buildings located within the SFHA – a requirement that affects nearly all mortgages financed through commercial lending institutions. This mandatory requirement stipulates that structural coverage be purchased equal to the amount of the loan, or other financial assistance, for the maximum amount available, which is currently $250,000 for a single family residence. While mandatory flood insurance purchase requirements have been in effect for many years, not all lending institutions required flood insurance in the past. Today, however, most institutions are now requiring the flood insurance purchase, and some are reviewing all mortgage loans to determine whether flood insurance is required and should have been required in the past. Upon refinancing a loan, nearly all lending institutions will enforce the flood insurance requirement. It is the lender’s responsibility to check the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) to determine whether a structure is within the SFHA.

Mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement does not apply to loans or financial assistance for items that are not eligible for flood insurance coverage, such as vehicles, business expenses, landscaping and vacant lots. The requirement also does not apply to loans for structure not located in a SFHA, even though a portion of the lot may be within SFHA. Persons located within SFHAs who received disaster assistance after September 23, 1994 for flood losses to real or personal property must purchase and maintain flood insurance coverage, otherwise future disaster assistance will be denied. 

For more information on flood insurance visit: 
National Flood Insurance Program Information or call 1-888-379-9531
Complete Guide to Flood Safety and Preparedness