Basic homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage from floods. The City of Dickinson participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, which means that federally subsidized flood insurance is available to everyone in the City. The purchase of flood insurance is highly recommended. Remember there is a 30-day waiting period before the policy becomes effective.

If a home in the floodplain is bought with a federally-backed mortgage, a mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement accompanies the sale, and the new homeowner must maintain flood insurance on the structure for the life of the loan or until a map change or other circumstances take the property out of the floodplain. An Elevation Certificate will be required in those instances. The document will also come in handy when the City goes through a map change or some type of disaster affects the properties in the City. For more information on Elevation Certificates click here. 

Please note that some flood insurance policies that were purchased out of a requirement by a bank or loan company when a mortgage or home improvement loan was obtained, just cover the structure and not the contents within the structure. However, policies are available to cover contents also. Remember that a flood insurance policy must be renewed every year.

Community Rating System

The City of Dickinson also participates in the Community Rating System (CRS), a voluntary federal program that rewards communities that implement higher standards by providing discounts on flood insurance policies. Currently Dickinson's efforts enable property owners in the floodplain to get a 10% discount and some property owners outside the floodplain may be eligible for a 5% discount. For more information on the CRS program as a whole click here.

Additional Resources

For more information about flood insurance, you can contact the National Flood Insurance Program, contacting the City of Dickinson Floodplain Manager, Ray Burgess, at 281-337-2489; extension 230, or by calling your insurance agent. For additional resources and publications, continue to our publications page here.