SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — Rick Satterwhite’s house backs up to the Missouri River, but flood insurance hadn’t really seemed necessary – until this week, when he had to pump water out of his basement after a round of destructive storms. It’s not the first time he’s had to dry out his basement from floodwater, but bad storms are getting more frequent, he said.
Satterwhite watched with dread Monday as the river came within 2 feet (61 centimeters) of his backdoor in Dakota City, Nebraska, after produced record-setting , destroying hundreds of properties. “I talked to our agent today,” Satterwhite said. “We’re going to get flood insurance now.
” Satterwhite is hardly alone. As the Midwest begins to recover, many won’t have flood insurance, which must be purchased separately from homeowners insurance. Federal data shows that across the of Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota, the government has only issued about 26,500 flood insurance policies combined.
Lack of insurance can burden homeowners with out-of-pocket repair costs and place more need on nonprofits and the government, said Emily Rogan, senior program officer at United Policyholders, an insurance consumers group. In Iowa, for example, consulting firm Milliman estimates that in 22 of the counties covered by the governor’s disaster proclamations, less than 1% of single-family homes have flood insurance from the government, which issues the vast majority of policies. Many think flooding won�.
