What is Storm Surge and How Will It Affect My Home in Florida?

Another article in the “Floods and Flood Insurance” Series…

Storm surge is a threat to any coastal areas, which are often less than 10 feet above sea level. The “surge” is water that is pushed ashore by the force of a storm. The combination of a tropical storm or a hurricane, along with high tides, can bring a wall of water up to 20 feet high.

In Tampa, the South Tampa peninsula, surrounded by Hillsborough Bay and Tampa Bay, has flooded in low-lying areas during recent Flooded_homesTropical Storms and Hurricanes. Those areas are in designated flood zones, where lenders require a homeowner to purchase flood insurance.

Many neighborhoods in South Tampa are in flood zones, B or C, which are “lower risk” for flood insurance requirements and many homeowners do not carry flood insurance, and, more importantly, many of them do not evacuate when a storm is brewing in the Gulf.

Read the rest of the story and watch the video simulation on The Real Estate Sizzle....