Flood Risks, Property Damage and Indoor Environmental Concerns

According to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a flood is a general and temporary condition where two or more acres of normally dry land or two or more properties are inundated by water or mudflow.
 
There are many natural and manmade conditions that can result in a flood.  They include hurricanes, overtopped levees, outdated or clogged drainage systems and the rapid accumulation of rainfall. Regardless of the cause, a flood can cause devastating damage to a home or business so it’s important that people understand flood risks in their area, especially since most standard homeowners insurance policies don’t cover it.
 
“Flood risks aren’t just based on history; they are also based on a number of factors,” said Franco Seif, President of Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “These include rainfall, river-flow and tidal-surge, topography, flood-control measures, and changes due to building and development in the area.”
 
Although flooding can happen anywhere, certain areas are especially prone to serious flooding. To help communities understand their risk, Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) have been created to show the locations of high-risk, moderate- to low-risk and undetermined-risk areas.
 

• In a high-risk area, there is at least a 1 in 4 chance of flooding during a 30-year mortgage. All home and business owners in these areas with mortgages from federally regulated or insured lenders are required to buy flood insurance.
• In moderate- to low-risk areas, the risk of being flooded is reduced, but not completely removed. Flood insurance isn’t federally required in moderate- to low-risk areas, but it is recommended for all property owners and renters.
• In undetermined-risk areas, no flood-hazard analysis has been conducted in these areas, but a flood risk still exists. 

Residential, commercial and institutional properties with flood damage frequently encounter more than just damaged building materials, belongings or even structural damage. Indoor environmental issues ranging from mold and bacteria to chemical contaminants are common.  Older properties with lead-based paints and asbestos-containing materials are also a potential hazard during cleanup, demolition and repair activities.
 
Clark Seif Clark’s building science and indoor environmental quality experts are available to identify these and other types of hazards to protect building occupants and those tasked with repairing damaged properties.  These services can also be instrumental for identifying these important issues when filing an insurance claim. In addition, CSC recently sponsored an educational video about flood risks, property damage and indoor environmental concerns that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/uEomZzY07Kw
 
To learn more about this or other property damage, indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, health and safety testing services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address environmental, IAQ, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail