State and local officials are working to spread a message in hopes of protecting residents against the losses faced when storms strike.
“Flooding is real, it’s happening across Pennsylvania. And the time to think about flood insurance is before the water rises, not after,” said Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys during a press conference held Sept. 10 in Lower Makefield.
Standing outside a home on the corner of Highland Drive and Taylorsville Road — where just three years ago, dozens of neighboring homes were devastated by severe flash floods in July of 2023 — Humphreys was accompanied by PEMA Director Randy Padfield, state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, state Rep. Perry Warren, Lower Makefield Township Vice Chair John Lewis and Lower Makefield Township Supervisor
Daniel R. Grenier to discuss the steps being taken to help mitigate the risks associated with flooding while urging all homeowners and renters to obtain flood insurance coverage.
The efforts are part of an overall goal by the Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force, which was created when it was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro in 2024, to reduce flood risks across Pennsylvania communities and make flood insurance more accessible and affordable for its residents.
Humphreys emphasized that homeowners and renters have options and are no longer limited to the National Flood Insurance Program. Instead, coverage is now available through private and surplus lines insurers.
“Now is the time to get covered. Don’t wait for the storm. Flood insurance is not generally included in a standard homeowners or renters insurance policy,” he said.
“You don’t have to live in a flood-zone to experience a flood. Flooding can happen anywhere, and all 67 counties in Pennsylvania have seen flooding. And over 40% of flood insurance claims are actually outside the highest risk areas.”
Among those speaking was Lower Makefield resident, April Bollwage-Cloer, whose property was damaged in the 2023 floods when a large sinkhole developed in her and an adjacent neighbor’s backyard.
“It turned our neighborhood into a river that collapsed part of our backyard and most of our neighbor’s into the canal,” she said.
“I cannot stress enough how important it is for all Pennsylvanians to think about their coverage today. Don’t wait, it will be too late, trust me. . . We really can’t control the weather. But these things we can control. We can control infrastructure, we can control our policies, and we can control how prepared our families are for events like this in the future.”
Reporter Michele Haddon covers local news, small business, food and drink, economic revitalization, art and culture for The Intelligencer and Bucks County Courier Times at PhillyBurbs.com. Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Why PA homeowners, renters are being urged to get flood insurance
