Flood insurance is a type of property insurance that covers a dwelling for losses sustained by water damage specifically due to flooding. Floods may be caused by heavy or prolonged rain, melting snow, coastal storm surges, blocked storm drainage systems, or levee dam failure.

Flood insurance covers your home and personal belongings against water damage caused by flooding, including high tides, hurricane storm surge, heavy rain, and other sources of natural flooding.

Flood insurance is the specific insurance coverage issued against property loss from flooding. To determine risk factors for specific properties, insurers will often refer to topographical maps that denote lowlands, floodplains and other areas that are susceptible to flooding.

The NFIP defines a flood as a temporary excess of water on two or more acres, or two or more properties, that are typically dry. The flooding must come from a source outside your home. Sewer backup in your home doesn’t count as a flood, for example.

Most home and contents insurance policies use a standard definition of ‘flood’: The covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of any of the following: A lake (whether or not it has been altered or modified); A river (whether or not it has been altered or modified);