Do I have to purchase flood insurance?
Homes and businesses located in high-risk flood areas (100-year floodplain) with federally-backed mortages are required to have flood insurance. Even if you are outside of this area, your lender may require you to have a flood insurance policy. It is still highly recommended to those who are outside of the high-risk or Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) to consider obtaining flood insurance.
Even if you are out of a high-risk area, flooding can happen to anyone. Flood waters don't respect lines drawn on a map. In fact, 20% of all NFIP insurance claims come from property owners outside of high-risk flood areas. Preferred Risk Policies are available for property owners in low- to moderate-flood risk areas. PRP's offer the same coverage as a typical flood insurance policy at a reduced premium. This is important to consider as flood waters don't respect lines on a map.
How do I know if I am in a low-, moderate- or high-risk flood area?
There are serveral ways that you can learn what flood zone your property is located in and what the relative risk of that zone may be.
- Visit FEMA's Map Service Center. On this website you can simply enter any property's address and look up what zone it may be located in. In Cranford, any property located in an "A Zone" including zones A, AO, AH, A1-30, AE, A99, AR, AR/A1-30, AR/AE, AR/AO, AR/AH, or AR/A, is in the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). All properties in these zones are considered high-risk and insurance is required for properties with federally-backed mortgages.
- Call your existing insurance provider to see if they offer flood insurance policies. You can find a flood insurance provider on floodsmart.gov or this list.
- Call the Township of Cranford's Office of Planning & Zoning for assistance.
Updated April 7, 2020