Flood losses have increased dramatically over the past few years, making flood insurance a critical coverage for home owners. Yet many home owners have never purchased flood insurance. There are a number of reasons for this including availability of coverage, a mistaken belief that flood is covered under their homeowners insurance policy, and a perception that they are not at risk for a loss. Until recently, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) offered the most viable option. However, recent technological advances have improved insurers' ability to evaluate flood risks and opened the door to private insurance that can either complement or replace the coverage available from the National Flood Insurance Program.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• describe key elements and coverage of the NFIP
• describe the private market flood insurance
• identify the advantages and disadvantages of private flood insurance as compared with NFIP coverage
• explain the basic and optional coverages provided by the Insurance Services Office, Inc., personal flood policy (FD 00 01) and endorsements that can be used to modify the policy