They are no longer my home insurer, because they suck. When they increased our deductible, they said it was because of high payouts in areas prone to wind damage, like Florida, the plains and other places well away from here.
Another point, we are in the Muskingum Watershed, out of the flood zones of the rivers and streams in the area, but there is a tax imposed on all property owners to fund the watershed. I used to know why they wanted the money, but I'd have to look it up.
When the Missouri River flooded, probably 2011, there was renewed scrutiny of flood plains and flood insurance. About that time FEMA raised the cost of premiums from $200 to $2000 annually. We were looking at a house we liked in Marietta, Ohio. It had not ever flooded that we could find, but it was considered to be in the flood zone, so we didn't get it. While we were looking at flood information about Marietta, we learned that about 11 building in downtown Marietta consistently made claims for flood damage. Going back to the Missouri River, Army Corps of Engineers said that their effort to control the Missouri over the years had failed and they considered it a waste of time, money and effort to try any longer to protect buildings on the flood zone on that river.
When we bought the house we lived in, we moved from a higher elevation, had no idea to even think about flood plains and flood insurance. I'm glad we bought this place.
There isn't going to be a good solution, because when the U.S. was getting settled and developed, who thought about floods and wind when they pick a place to build or live? Now, we do, but it seems like it is almost too late, and people who are living on flood plains or Tornado Alley are going to keep suffering through property damage.
= new reply since forum marked as read