Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Swept away: Don Bullard on flooding and flood risks

Don Bullard is an independent insurance agent and founder of the insurance firm Don Bullard Insurance in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Don Bullard Image Credit: Edhunnicutt.com


Persistent rainfall combined with melting snowpack caused historical flooding along the Mississippi River and its tributaries in 2011. Estimated economic losses range from $3 to 4 billion. Fourteen people were reported killed in Arkansas. Death toll from the raging floods reached 392 across seven states. Thousands of homes were ordered evacuated, including over 1,300 in Memphis, Tennessee, and more than 24,500 in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The National Weather Service notes that more people in the United States are killed by floods than other types of severe weather. The organization points out that in recent years, only heat surpassed flood fatalities.

Don Bullard Image Credit: DonBullard.com


Anywhere it rains, it can flood. Thus, insurance experts, like Don Bullard, assert the importance of flood insurance. Although many homeowners deemed it unnecessary, flood insurance is important if people wish to keep their homes safe and possessions secure. All it takes is a few inches of water to cause damage to a home and its contents.

For example, according to FloodSmart.gov, total losses incurred as a result of 6 inches of flood water in a 1,000-square-foot home is around $20,150. For the same height of flood in a 2,000-square-foot home, total losses climb to $39,150.

Flood coverage offers protection against such kind of losses which result from heavy and lengthy rainfall, storm surges, blocked storm drainage systems, and snowmelt, among others. Different types of policies are available based on a property’s location and its flood history.

Don Bullard Image Credit: BankBazaar.com


To know more about the flood insurance policies offered by Don Bullard Insurance, visit www.donbullard.com.