Flood insurance; wise or waste of money? Opinions.

[MI-Roger]

I would have the yard graded so that rain water does not pool in your lawn. Since you are close to a ravine, a little grading work should be able to divert the water around your home and back to its original drainage pattern - the ravine.

I would also install a trench drain in the driveway, close to the garage, to prevent the driveway runoff from flowing into your garage. As an alternate, it may be possible to install a catchbasin in the driveway further from the house and route its output with the suggested grading work above.

House on slab foundation, located in the middle of a sloping yard with natural drainage behind the home, I agree you did the right thing buying the flood insurance. Just read the fine print to be certain it covers all water related perils and is not limited to only NOAA declared floods.

[silverflash]

well it is new construction. Things seem to drain fairly well but water still pools a little after heavy rains etc.

btw, i took a look last night in the ravine and it had water sitting in it. Would have to get about 10 feet high before being in my level back yard though which i can't see happening there but you never know. Glad I got the insurance becasue you do never know....

[Crashj007]

Originally Posted by silverflash

yeah, i figured 200$, isn't much if only for the piece of mind, though some will argue that is wasted money better spend invested in something... but i think this is a good thing for my piece of mind. cause in a new neighborhood, or old, you just never know.

To start up in my home based business costs $129.95 which buys you a bunch of stuff and a possibility of building a business that might earn $100,000 a year. I think a lot more people get flood damage than succeed in my product brokerage business, however. I am pretty sure your house has to actually be _in_ the flood plain to be eligible. If so, buy the insurance. Here are some facts, too:
Flood Insurance Tips | National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

[Herd33]

As long as your community participates in flood plain management, anyone can purchase flood insurance--even if the property isn't in a flood plain. The key is whether the community is "participating". There is a list of non-participating and participating areas on FEMAs site.