Flood protection: What type of insurance do you need?

More than 5,000 Quebec residents still find themselves displaced after the devastating floods that ravaged different parts of the province in May.

Waterlogged houses and warnings from public inspectors and engineers are just some of the issues that the residents are dealing with, on top of the mounting costs of having to resort to hotels and restaurants.

It’s hard to measure what’s more daunting—the idea of being displaced for almost an entire month, or how to tackle restoring their homes upon return.

While this flood was unpreventable and uncontrollable, home insurance offers a beacon of light during this overwhelming time, but there are dangers of living in flood-prone areas, particularly when it comes to your insurance provider.

While insurance adjustors will undoubtedly be busy assessing water-related damage, be aware that only some policies cover damages from broken water mains and other appliances, but more often than not, homeowners are left on the hook for sewer backup issues, or residual water from heavy rain, snow, or water bodies overflowing.

The good news for Quebec residents is that starting in March of this year, they were granted the option to add on flood insurance to their policy.

If you’re not sure what type of coverage you need, it’s important to talk to an expert who can assess your location, your proximity to bodies of water that could possibly overflow, but most importantly to advise you on the best way to prevent your home from becoming the site of a flooding disaster.