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Federal flood insurance is available in our community because of our participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. The City of Austin's Watershed Protection and Development Review Department is the community representative for the National Flood Insurance Program, which is administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA rates participating communities with the "Community Rating System" as an incentive to do more than just meet minimum national standards for development. The current City of Austin rating is 7, which allows citizens up to a 15% reduction in flood insurance costs.
You can be reimbursed for all your covered losses with a flood insurance policy, even if a disaster is not federally declared. Flood insurance is affordable: the average premium costs about $400 per year for an average $100,000 coverage.
 What about Federal Disaster Assistance?
If a disaster is declared by the President, some homeowners have the option of a disaster assistance loan. This is repayable in full, with interest. Paying back a $50,000 disaster home loan, for example, will cost an average of $300 per month, for an average repayment period of 18.5 years.
What about Homeowners Insurance?
Your homeowners insurance will not cover your flood losses or damages.
How Do I Buy Flood Insurance?
Austin is a participating community in FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program. Simply call your insurance company or agent and ask for details. Planning early is essential because it normally takes 30 days after purchase for a flood insurance policy to go into effect.
How Likely is a Flood?
Floods are the most common natural disaster in the U.S., and nearly everybody has some risk of flooding.
FEMA estimates that 10 million U.S. households are located in high flood risk areas. However, people who live near water are not the only ones who experience flooding. Floods move and can spread for miles. It's not just high risk areas that are flooded. Between 25 and 30 percent of all flood insurance claims are paid to people living outside these high risk areas.
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