I don’t live near the river. Am I really at risk for flooding?

80% of all disasters declared in the United States are caused by floods. To relate it better to home and business owners, many mortgages have a repayment period of 30 years. Buildings in areas that are in or are very close to a 100-year flood plain have a 26% chance of experiencing a flood during the life of the loan. However, during that same period, there is only a 4% chance of a fire.

In the past 20 years, most of the areas in the City affected by flooding are not in designated floodplain areas.

Compared Odds of Flooding

EventOdds of Occurring
Structure in the 100-year floodplain being flooded in any given year1 in 100
Matching 1 number plus the Powerball in the Powerball lottery1 in 124
Structure in the 500-year floodplain being flooded in any given year1 in 500
Annual chance of being killed in a car accident if you drive 10,000 miles a year1 in 4,000
Being struck by lightning1 in 600,000
Winning the Powerball lottery jackpot (matching 5 numbers plus the Powerball)1 in 120,526,770

Show All Answers

1. What is a 100-year flood?
2. I don’t live near the river. Am I really at risk for flooding?
3. How do I know if my property is in a floodplain?
4. Does my home owner’s or commercial structure insurance policy cover damage caused by flooding?
5. Why are there floodplains and what’s the benefit for having them?
6. Can I build in the floodplain?