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The Flood Nerds

The Flood Nerds

Get Flood Insurance Nebraska & Save Money Too.

Flood Insurance Nebraska

People in Nebraska save on average $500 to $1,457+ on their annual flood premiums.

In many cases, we save them even more. Get the cheapest flood insurance in Nebraska without sacrificing coverage.

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2023 – Flood Insurance in Nebraska

Get Cheap Flood Insurance without Compromising Coverage

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Flood Nerds will shop the private flood insurance markets and then compare them to the NFIP, guaranteeing you the better option. We will send you the cheapest flood insurance rates within minutes.

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Paying for low-cost flood insurance is awesome. And letting the Flood Nerds shop your property has other benefits – you can get better coverage while saving money, and you can get it fast.

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Better Flood Insurance is an independent flood insurance broker that shops flood insurance ONLY.  Flood Nerds are Flood insurance experts. We have 5000+ happy clients and 390+ 5-star reviews. 

nebraska flood plain map

Does my Nebraska homeowner insurance cover flooding?

A typical Nebraska homeowners’ policy is written through Farmers, State Farm, Allstate, and Progressive, for instance, excludes flooding as something that will be covered under their homeowner’s policy.

In most cases, the only way to get flood coverage is by purchasing a stand-alone flood insurance policy. However, you should ask your homeowners agent if you can add an endorsement to your homeowner’s policy to cover flooding. Yet, don’t be too surprised if the answer is NO.

Flood mapping

Do I need flood insurance in Nebraska?

Having flood insurance coverage in Nebraska is important because our beloved Cowboy State has seen a fair share of flooding, and more is likely coming.

We believe that most homeowners think about Flood insurance in Nebraska at some point, maybe before buying a home or during the closing process.  However, many of us only think about it when a big storm looms or we have heard on the news that there is flooding forecasted or happening too close to our home.

If your home or business is in a flood zone, that is considered a low flood risk area. Sadly, many homeowners decide to forgo purchasing coverage because they believe they are safe from flooding. Some real estate and insurance agents may even say you don’t need it.

I ask you to consider the facts: 20 percent of all flooding events across our nation come in areas that are considered low risk. After our last few major storms (Hurricane Harvey), we saw flooding in these low-risk areas.  Eighty percent of these individuals had water in their homes or building and didn’t have flood insurance coverage.

In Harris county, nearly 135,000 homes were damaged.  Three-fourths of these properties were considered low to moderate risk.

We often hear that people believe that the government will help, which is true.  However, a few things must align for you to get government assistance.

1 – The president of the United States must declare the flooding event a state of emergency.  If this doesn’t happen, then there won’t be assistance.

2 – Homeowners’ average amount of assistance after a flood, when they do not have flood coverage, is $5,000.  The average cost of damage to one’s property after a flood is $38,000+.  That $5K you get from the government?  It comes as a loan, and you will need to pay it back.  Are you willing to gamble on your financial future by forgoing flood insurance coverage?

One more note on these low-risk flood zone maps. Many of these maps are over 40 years old. If the area has been developed, then there is likely more concrete, creating a barrier for land that, previously, might have absorbed the massive downpour.

 
nebraska flood map

Because of all these factors, it is difficult for property owners to know their true risk of flooding. FEMA admits that their flood maps only give an idea of part of the risk. Our recent storms are facts that it can rain anywhere within Nebraska, and you should consider getting flood coverage so you are not uninsured when you need it most.

FEMA flood zone maps often take years to go into effect after the terrain was studied; this gives the impression that the area is “more up to date” than it is.

The average cost for Nebraska flood insurance in these Low-risk areas is $595 per year.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and all federally backed lenders rely on these Nebraska flood insurance maps to assess risk, set premiums, and determine who is required to purchase flood insurance. Bad information about an area’s flood risk can leave property owners under or uninsured.

How much is flood insurance in Nebraska?

There are many options available in Nebraska regarding flood insurance, but they fall into two main categories.

1_The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), also known as FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) will call it the Government option

2_ Private flood Insurance options, including Lloyd’s of London flood insurance.

Nebraska NFIP flood insurance.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), also known as FEMA, is the government option for flood insurance.  The NFIP has enjoyed a 50-state monopoly on the flood insurance market.

Not “private flood insurance” but NFIP Resellers

If you have Nationwide Flood Insurance, State Farm Flood Insurance, Progressive Flood Insurance, or any of the of the logos below, then you are buying the NFIP flood policy that is just being resold through a government program. These companies are private companies, but their flood insurance is not. Here is a list of the 70 companies that resell the NFIP policy.

Not Private flood Insurance

Nebraska private flood insurance market

Llloyds of London Flood Insurance Shopper

There are alternatives to the NFIP or government insurance.  It is called Private flood insurance, most notably Lloyd’s of London Flood insurance. However, there are other options available in Nebraska. We shop all the options for your property in your region to ensure you are getting the best premium.  Please click here if you are ready to have us do the work for you.

Our shopping includes the NFIP because sometimes we find that you can get a much better premium with government subsidies.

Quote my Flood Insurance Please!

Lloyd’s of London Flood Insurance Nebraska Market

Nebraska is fortunate to have many Lloyd’s of London flood insurance options. Although many Lloyd’s flood insurance companies will have you assume that there is only one option, nothing could be further from the truth.

Lloyd’s of London has a rich history attributed to having invented the first modern insurance model. Unlike most of its competition, Lloyd’s of London is not a company but a corporate body.  This structure works well since it has been around for over 330 years. Lloyd’s operates under multiple financial backers pooling their capital to spread the risk.

I have two blog posts that deep dive into Lloyds of London and what they mean to Nebraska’s flood insurance market.  Iif you are interested, the links are below.

Lloyd’s of London Flood Insurance

NFIP vs Private Flood Insurance

Lloyd’s also insures the world for flood insurance, meaning they cover flooding events in India, Australia, and much of Europe.  The “game” of insurance is to spread your risk since Lloyd’s is worldwide.

Lloyds of London Private Market Flood Insruance

I joke here that Lloyd’s is banking on God’s promise that he won’t flood the entire world again, …..so they won’t have to pay out the whole worlds flood claim.

How much does flood insurance cost in Nebraska?

Many factors go into getting the cost of flood insurance for Nebraska. If your home is in what is considered a low-to-moderate risk, you can get a heavily subsidized policy through the government.

Nebraska flood insurance low-to Moderate Risk rate and cost.
This is Flood Zone X, which is not lender required flood zone.

This is usually identified as an X-flood zone.  Then we would suggest the government Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) which is a subsidized policy and has set flood insurance coverage limits (see the grid below):

                                                   $250K (Residental) /$500K (commercial) Building 

                                           NFIP Maximum Coverage Limits

The average cost for flood insurance in Nebraska with the maximum set limits in these Low-risk flood zone areas is $405 – $700 per year.

Your property is in a higher-risk flood zone, it is usually identified with a Flood Zone AE.

Your lender will require you to have flood insurance.

The cost of flood insurance in Nebraska depends on many factors unique to the structure. We will try to give you an idea for the most common homes we see in Nebraska with a basement foundation.

We will look at the Nebraska cost of flood insurance for the NFIP maximum of $250,000 for the (building only) with NO CONTENTS and our recommended deductible of $5,000.

We will be rating this example on the NFIP and on a few of our private flood insurance policies, specifically Lloyds flood insurance options in Nebraska.

Cost of Flood Insurance in NEBRASKA in high-risk flood zone AE

Our example is in Omaha, NE, but the premiums will be the same in Lincoln, Schuyler, Lexington, Fremont, Cass, Sarpy, and many other Nebraska flood zones.

In our example, the Base Flood Elevation (BFE is 984.0) and is a home that is built before 1962

What is BFE?

NFIP option in Nebraska Flood Zone AE 

NFIP – Coverage of $250,000 building coverage (no Contents coverage) and $5,000 deductible

NFIP Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $3,242.00

This option is what we see if the property has had a flood loss before and either doesn’t have an Elevation Certificate applied or the Elevation certificate showing that the lowest floor is 4 feet under the BFE for the area. You can use 10% of your coverage to cover other structures on your property.

Nebraska Private flood insurance – Lloyd’s of London Flood Insurance (option 1)

Coverage of $250,000 building coverage (no Contents coverage) and $5,000 deductible

Lloyd’s of London (option 1) Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $849.00

This option is great, and we are very happy when we can get this option. They can be a bit choosey about what risk they will accept and will not take anything that has had a flood loss. They offer basements coverage, about $2,000 for loss of use and $2,000 for other structures, but they can’t increase this coverage. They do not require an Elevation Certificate to rate.

Nebraska Private flood insurance – Lloyd’s of London Flood Insurance (option 2)

Coverage of $250,000 building coverage (no Contents coverage) and $5,000 deductible

Lloyd’s of London (option 2)  Annual premium in High-Risk flood zone is $1,004.25

This option is great, and we are very happy when we can get this option for our clients. They seem to be writing almost all risks; however, they do not write any property in a designated floodway or has a depth of -4 under the BFE.  In our example, with our BFE being 984, they will not accept this risk if the lowest floor is 840.  They will not take anything that has had a flood loss. They offer limited coverage for basements and do not require an Elevation Certificate to rate and as a percentage of coverage for loss of use. If you want coverage for other structures, that will need to be added.

Private Flood insurance option (option 3) Not Lloyd’s

Coverage of $250,000 building coverage (no Contents coverage) and $5,000 deductible

The annual premium in a High-Risk flood zone is $2,917.00

This option will take properties that have had one flood loss for more than five years, and the payout was under $100,000 on the claim. Their coverage matches the NFIP.  They will write practically all risks, don’t need an elevation certificate to rate, and are a bit lower in premium than the NFIP.

Private Flood Insurance –  Lloyd’s of London (option 4)

This option must be written on the building’s Replacement Cost Value (RCV). Otherwise, there is a co-insurance penalty that kicks in. So, $250,000 might be a bit low in California, but to keep this going, let’s just use that for this option

Coverage of $250,000 (RCV) building coverage, No Contents, and a $5,000 deductible

The annual premium in a High-Risk flood zone is $719.20 (a great price).

This options rating system is all over the board.  Sometimes we get a crazy great price, but other times the premium is way higher than the NFIP will consider taking a property that has had one flood loss before as long as it has been more than ten years and the payout was under $50,000 on the claim. Their preferred coverage is at replacement cost, slightly different from some of our other Lloyd’s flood options.  We usually reserve this one if the property doesn’t fit the above options. We can adjust coverages to control premiums. As mentioned before, these underwriters’ rates are all over the board.  It is worth shopping through to ensure we are getting you the best premium possible. They don’t need an elevation certificate to rate.

Private Flood Insurance –  Lloyd’s of London (option 5)

Coverage of $250,000 (RCV) building coverage, No Contents, and a $5,000 deductible.

The annual premium in a High-Risk flood zone is $1,115.45

This option came from the company that used to run the NFIP program, so the coverage matches the NFIP coverage with two differences. They offer living expenses covering your cost when you are displaced from your home during repairs (most Lloyds flood policies offer this).  They also offer a unique swimming pool clean-out, so if you have a pool, ask for this coverage.

Private Flood Insurance –  Lloyd’s of London (option 6)

Coverage of $250,000 (RCV) building coverage. No Contents and $5,000 deductible.

The annual premium in a High-Risk flood zone is $866.00

This options rating system is also all over the board. Sometimes we get a crazy low price; other times, the premium is way higher than the NFIP. They will consider taking a property that has had one flood loss before as long as it has been more than ten years and the payout was under $25,000 on the claim. They have been rumored to give a low price the first year and then non-renew the following years, or sometimes they jack the price way up, so we will watch them. They have a slick system, and their underwriting is managed by a 3rd party, which also sometimes seems to be a glitch.

More options are coming online every day, and we are working to be looking into every viable option.

Flood Insurance in Nebraska

Currently, Nebraska has 8,757 NFIP policies in force, with a total cost of $8,737,796. That would make the average for Nebraska $998. Of course, some will pay more, and some will pay less.

Click here to have our shop and save you money.

Hello, Nebraska!  Thanks for visiting our page for all your flood insurance needs.

Let’s start with Kearney, Nebraska.  The total number of active flood policies in Kearney is 99, with $79,898.  This allows the average flood rate for Kearney to be $807.

In Cass, Nebraska, the average flood rate it $707.  This includes 252 active flood policies in Cass with $178,262 in flood premiums.

The average flood rate jumps to $1,175 in Cedar Creek, NE There are 111 active flood policies in Cedar Creek, Nebraska and $130,416 in written premiums.

$527 is the average flood rate for Schuyler, Nebraska.  Schuyler has $206,185 in active premiums with 391 flood policies.

Looking at Lexington’s 609 active flood policies, we see the total premiums active here are $81,643.  This allows the average flood rate in Lexington, Nebraska, to be $609.

Dodge, Nebraska’s average flood rate is $963, including 114 active flood policies and $109,727 in premiums.

Fremont, you all have a lot of flood policies!  Six hundred seventy-nine active flood policies with $529,927 in premiums.  Fremont, NE, your average flood rate is $873.  Thanks for checking out our page in Fremont, Nebraska!

$829 is the average flood premium for North Bend, Nebraska The total number of policies in effect in North Bend is 179, with $148,467 in total premiums.

One hundred fifty-six flood policies are in effect in Douglas, Nebraska.  The average flood rate in Douglas, NE, is $1,006 with $156,895 in written flood premiums.

Hello Omaha!  There are 844 active flood policies in Omaha!  This includes $1,034,900 in flood premiums which makes the average flood rate for Omaha, NE, $1,226.

In Valley, Nebraska, the average flood rate is $976.  There are 346 active policies and $337,699 in flood premiums written in Valley!  Thanks for stopping by Valley!

Let’s check out Beatrice, Nebraska, next!  Beatrice has 69 active flood policies and $66,072 in written premiums.  The average flood premium in Beatrice is $958.

$1,291 is the average flood rate for Grand Island, Nebraska.  Your average is a little higher than the state average!  Maybe we can help you out!  Grand Island has 126 active flood policies with $162,708 in premiums.

Hall, Nebraska, has 77 flood policies with $51,703 in written premiums.  The average flood rate for Hall is $671

There are $27,690 in written flood premiums in Knox, Nebraska.  This includes 45 active policies, with the average flood rate at $615.

Lincoln, Nebraska, you all have a lot of flood policies – 1,338 active policies with $1,616,853 in premiums.  This makes Lincoln’s average flood rate calculate out to be $1,208.

In Waverly and Lincoln County, Nebraska, $161,127 is written in flood premiums.  The total number of policies in Waverly and Lincoln Counties is 149, which causes the average flood rate to be $1,081.

One hundred thirty-nine flood policies are in effect in North Platte, Nebraska.  The average flood rate in North Platte is $746, including $103,746 in premiums.

$467 is the average flood rate for Columbus, Nebraska.  The number of active flood policies in Columbus is 75, including $35,022 in flood premiums.

Crete, Nebraska, has 108 active flood policies.  The average flood rate for Crete is $1,128, which includes $121,848 in written premiums.

Bellevue, Nebraska, thanks for stopping by!  Your average flood rate is $838.  This includes 149 active flood policies and $124,810 in total premiums.

Hello Papillion, Nebraska!  You all have 110 flood policies with $88,259 in total premiums.  Papillion’s average flood rate is $802.

In Sarpy, Nebraska, there are 460 active flood policies.  The average flood rate is $964, including $443,579 in written premiums.

The average flood rate drops a bit to $554 in Saunders, Nebraska. This includes 326 active flood policies and $180,686 in written premiums.

$1,725 is the average flood rate for Scottsbluff, Nebraska.  The total number of flood policies in Scottsbluff is 142.  The written premiums include $245,011.

There are 70 active flood policies in Arlington and Blair, Nebraska.  The total premiums written in Arlington and Blair are $66,659, allowing the average flood rate to be $952.

Thanks for checking out all the flood information on Nebraska!!

Cost of flood Insurance in Nebraska

For decades, the NFIP has over-charged 50 percent of its policyholders and under-charged the other 50 percent, while it has racked up $42 billion in taxpayer-funded losses, equating to more than half of every claim paid by the NFIP since 1978.

About 30 percent of NFIP claims payments go to the same 3 percent of insured “repetitive loss” structures yearly. When you do the math, this means that the other 97 percent of their flood-exposed constituents could have paid in less and still netted larger claims payouts if they had better access to private flood insurance. A recent white paper by Milliman found that 90 percent of homes in Sandy-struck New York and New Jersey would see reduced flood insurance rates through private insurers.

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