Flood Insurance and Protecting Your Home

When the ground has been dry during a drought, experts say the risk of flooding is higher because the water runs over the ground rather than absorbing into it. Even if you have flood insurance, there are still many steps you need to take to protect your property. You may not realize many items are not covered by flood insurance. And if you have to evacuate, you'll only have minutes to decide what you can save. Here is some advice from an insurance expert ... in this Seven On Your Side Consumer Watch.

When a flood hits, you may only have minutes to decide the most important items to grab out of your home. Correll Insurance agent Jon Jensen says its your documents. Said Jensen, "Whether it's social security cards, medical records, insurance policies and anything that may be personal that's not replaceable, such as wedding photo albums."

Also grab prescriptions you'll need right away.

But before a flood comes, consider this. Many household items are not covered by flood insurance. So plan ahead to keep them high and dry.

Equipment in your basement, such as heaters and washing machines, are covered. But furnishings and stored items are often not. Said Jensen, "Your personal property in a basement isn't covered. Some of the wall coverings, carpeting may not be covered in your flood insurance."

Your yard is usually not covered by flood insurance either. Patio furniture and lawn equipment should be secured indoors. Said Jensen, "They're highly susceptible to damage if they're just laying out in the open."

And there may be limits on coverage, like $250 dollars, for certain valuables. Said Jensen, "Cash, money and securities, bonds, jewelry, any fine arts, anything that's collectible or highly valued."

If you live in a mobile home, make sure it's properly anchored or your insurance coverage may float away with it.

Flood insurance can protect your home, furniture and belongings. For as little as $120 a year in low risk areas, it could be well worth the investment.

Here are the top seven items experts suggest packing in an evacuation box ahead of time: insurance policies and legal documents, cash and credit cards, social security and bank account numbers, prescriptions and medical records, emergency phone numbers, keys, and photos.

To determine if you are in a flood prone area, you can contact your insurance agent or your county, which has flood maps. And remember flood insurance takes 30 days to take effect.