How High's The Water Mama!

Hendersonville Tn in the Flood of the Century

" How high's the water, Mama? Six feet high and rising." That was a line from an old country song, but was probably often repeated during the first weekend of May in the greater Nashville area.

The third highest 24 hour rainfall ever recorded in Nashville, Tennessee was recorded May 1st, 2010. The highest 24 hour rainfall ever recorded in our area was May 2nd. The combination of 14 to 20 inches of rain in two days resulted in a five hundred year flood event.

Twenty lives were lost, numerous homes and basements were flooded, and most major road systems and even interstates were in sections under water. Thousands of people lost homes and personal property. Most did not have insurance coverage for their losses.

What should people do to protect themselves? First, know what your risks are before purchasing a home. If your home is in a 100 year flood plain your bank or mortgage will require that you get Federal Flood Insurance. Remember that the flood insurance that the bank requires only covers the structure. You must then take out an additional policy for personal property.

What is the flood rating for your property? Not many people know the answer to that question, but it is an important fact to know and understand. Most of the homes that were flooded were not in the 100 year flood plain, thus not required to carry flood insurance. The closer you are to a flood plain the more likely you are to have problems if a 500 year event should occur.

There also are other possible events like the collapse of a dam that can contribute to an abnormal flood event. A lot of publicity was generated in 2005 and 2006 by the leaking and structural integrity of the Wolf Creek Dam in Kentucky. A collapse of the Wolf Creek Dam would flood major portions throughout Midle Tennessee. If you are outside the 100 year flood zones the Federal Flood Insurance is relatively inexpensive. For $370 you can get $250,000 in home insurance and $100,000 in content coverage. A lot of people who bought Federal Flood Insurance to protect against a Wolf Creek Dam problem were happy to have it when the flood of 2010 came to town.

Another "deep thought" to consider when purchasing a home is that water runs down hill. Be sure to check your home for proper drainage. I had friends last week whose basement flooded taking out washer, dryer, hot water heater, and heating and air equipment. Thankfully the Karaoke machine was saved. I had another friend several years ago who lived on a hillside who had water getting under the basement slab. Within 7 days the problem went from sticking doors to total collapse of the home. Even a flow of water into a crawl space can lead to mold that can be a major health problem with an expensive fix.

Buying insurance is always a calculated bet. But in this era of rapid climate change my advice to you is to first evaluate your risks, then double down if you find that there is a chance of losing it all in a major flood.