Before a Flood: The Dry-Day Work That Protects Your Claim

Everything on this page is done on a dry day. That is the point — almost every decision that determines what a flood costs you has to be made before the water is in the forecast.

1. Understand your flood risk

Learn the local hazards. Flash floods, river flooding, coastal surge, and post-fire debris flows behave differently and arrive on different timelines. Know which ones apply where you live. In California that list is unusually long: atmospheric rivers that stall over a watershed for days, Central Valley levee and canal systems, coastal surge, and debris flows off a burn scar for years after a fire.

Check the maps. FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center shows whether your home sits in a mapped flood-prone area. Roughly a quarter of flood claims come from outside high-risk zones — an unmapped property is not a safe one. Our Zone X guide explains why “not required” never meant “not at risk.”

Do not assume a home is safe because it has never flooded. Drainage systems, new development, overflowing creeks, burn scars, and shifting storm paths create flooding in places that have stayed dry for decades.

2. Make plans to stay safe

Write a household plan. Include every person and pet. Cover evacuation routes — more than one out of the area — where you will shelter, and what to do if a flash flood warning arrives with no notice. Account for medications, mobility needs, children, and older adults. Follow evacuation orders promptly, and never stay behind solely to protect property.

Build a kit. Food, water, medicine, batteries, flashlights, and a first aid kit — enough for at least three days, packed where you can carry it out in one trip.

Have a communication plan. Decide in advance how the household stays in touch during a power or cell outage, and name one out-of-area contact everyone checks in with.

3. Protect your property

Elevate and anchor utilities. Electrical panels, propane tanks, sockets, wiring, appliances, and heating systems are the most expensive things water reaches first.

Defend the basement. Install water alarms and a working sump pump with a battery backup, so an outage does not take the pump out with the power.

Clear gutters and downspouts. Routine maintenance prevents the water accumulation that causes a surprising share of avoidable damage.

Move things up. When flooding is forecast, relocate furniture and valuables to an upper floor or attic while there is still time to do it safely. Keep receipts for reasonable flood-prevention expenses — some policies may reimburse certain costs incurred to protect insured property from an imminent flood, though the rules differ, so confirm eligibility with your insurer. Never let property-protection efforts delay an evacuation.

4. Create a visual inventory of your property

Photographs and video establish what your home and belongings looked like before the loss. They help an adjuster identify flooring materials, wall finishes, furniture, electronics, appliances, the condition and quality of each room, and anything later removed or destroyed.

• Stand in the corner of each room and take several wide-angle photographs.
• Record slow walk-through video. Open closets, cabinets, and drawers where practical.
• Include the garage, storage areas, and upper floors — not only the rooms you expect to flood.
• For higher-value items, record brand, model, serial number, approximate purchase date, and original cost. Photograph receipts when you have them.
• Store the inventory somewhere that survives the house — secure cloud storage, not just the phone in your pocket.

Rental-property owners can also preserve current listing photographs, which help show pre-loss condition.

A simple annual habit: pick one day each year — the same date every year — to refresh your home inventory. Update it again after renovations or major purchases.

5. Review your flood insurance coverage

Know the answers to these questions before a storm, not during one:

• What are my building and contents limits — and do I actually have contents coverage?
• What deductibles apply?
• Is my coverage through the NFIP, a private flood insurer, or both?
• Are my limits enough to repair or rebuild, and do I carry excess flood coverage above the primary limit?
• Does my policy include loss-of-use or additional living expense coverage?
• What limits apply to a basement or an enclosure below the lowest elevated living level?
• Are there special conditions for appliances, flooring, mechanical systems, or detached structures?

Do not assume a standard homeowners policy covers flooding; damage from rising surface water is generally handled under separate flood insurance. And the amount a lender requires is not the amount needed to recover from a major loss. Ask your agent to compare your property’s estimated rebuilding cost against your flood limits — our rates guide covers what drives the number. The gaps people discover too late are collected on this page.

6. Keep claim information accessible

Save both digital and printed copies of your flood policy and declarations page, your policy number, your carrier’s claim contact, your agent’s phone and email, your mortgage company and loan information, and a list of emergency contacts. Keep the digital set in secure cloud storage — a local agency can be hit by the same catastrophe you are, so keep more than one way to reach someone.

Verify that the mortgage company listed on the policy is current. If you refinance and the record is not updated, a building-payment check can name the wrong lender and delay access to your money. A missed lender-paid premium can put coverage at risk entirely.

The dry-day checklist

• Check your address on the FEMA flood map
• Write the household evacuation plan
• Pack a three-day emergency kit
• Photograph and video every room
• Record serial numbers on high-value items
• Back the inventory up to the cloud
• Confirm you carry contents coverage
• Compare your limits to rebuilding cost
• Elevate or anchor utilities and appliances
• Test the sump pump and its backup
• Clear gutters and downspouts
• Save policy, agent, and carrier contacts offline

Download the printable prep guide (PDF) or the one-page readiness summary.

Would your flood claim be ready today?

Send us your declarations page and we will tell you plainly what you are covered for and what you are not — and if a claim ever comes, you have an advocate who already knows your policy. It takes about two minutes: start here or call 855-CAL-FLOOD (225-3566).

Common questions

What should I photograph before a flood?

Every room from the corners in wide angle, plus slow walk-through video with closets and cabinets open. Include the garage, storage areas, and upper floors. Record brand, model, and serial numbers for higher-value items, and store all of it in cloud storage rather than only on your phone.

Do I need flood insurance if my home is not in a flood zone?

Every property is in some flood zone; the question is whether it is a high-risk one. Roughly a quarter of flood claims come from outside mapped high-risk areas, and premiums in lower-risk zones are among the cheapest available — which makes skipping coverage a poor trade for most California homeowners.

How much flood insurance do I actually need?

Enough to rebuild, which is rarely what a lender requires. Lenders generally require the lesser of the loan balance or replacement cost, up to the NFIP’s $250,000 residential cap. Compare your limits against your property’s estimated rebuilding cost, and close the difference with a private policy or excess flood coverage.

California Flood Insurance does not have the authority to adjust insurance claims. This information is provided as a courtesy, is general information only, and is not legally binding. Coverage is governed by the terms of your policy. Consult your insurance representative or a qualified legal advisor for guidance on your specific claim.