Flood Insurance Resources

The Write Your Own (WYO) Program began in 1983 and is a cooperative undertaking of the insurance industry and FEMA. The WYO Program allows participating property and casualty insurance companies to write and service the Standard Flood Insurance Policy in their own names. The companies receive an expense allowance for policies written and claims processed while the Federal Government retains responsibility for underwriting losses. The WYO Program operates as part of the National Flood Insurance Program, and is subject to its rules and regulations. This document gives Information on Companies using the WYO Program.

The National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Preferred Risk Policy (PRP) offers lower-cost protection for homes and apartments in areas of low to moderate flood risk. These areas outside of known floodplains are shown as B, C, or X, zones on a Flood Insurance Rate Map.

Protect Yourself with Flood Insurance. Just a few inches of water from a flood can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Over the past 10 years, the average flood claim has amounted to nearly $48,000. Flood insurance is the best way to protect yourself from devastating financial loss. Flood insurance is available to homeowners, renters, condo owners/renters, and commercial owners/renters. Costs vary depending on how much insurance is purchased, what it covers, and the property's flood risk. All policy forms provide coverage for buildings and contents. However, you might want to discuss insuring personal property with your agent, since contents coverage is optional. Typically, there's a 30-day waiting period from date of purchase before your policy goes into effect. That means now is the best time to buy flood insurance.

Time to Get Covered. When you're ready to buy flood insurance, talk to your agent. Together, you can discuss how best to meet your insurance needs. You can find local flood insurance agents through the website above.

Unincorporated Orange County participates in the Community Rating System (CRS) and currently has a CRS rating of 5; this means the insurance policy premium in the SFHA has a 25% discount and non-SFHA has a 10% discount, discounts exclude Preferred Risk Policies because it’s already at a lower premium than other policies