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In many parts of the country, the warm summer months often bring with them heavy rains, and that can be a major problem for homeowners if they live in low-lying areas that might be susceptible to floods. As a consequence, many experts are now urging them to make sure they're prepared to protect their properties from these incidents so that they aren't hit with huge bills and other problems when waters recede. Further, though, it may be wise for insurance agents across the country to make sure they're connecting with their clients who live in these places, as they might not know all the ins and outs about how a flood in particular might affect them.

Americans from all over may now be at risk for having their areas hit by a flood, but the fact of the matter is that many might not be prepared for the fallout, according to a report from the Arizona Daily Sun. While a large number of things are often covered by a person's individual home insurance policy, flooding often isn't one of them - meaning that if they do not have supplementary coverage, then they are far more likely to be hit with huge bills that aren't covered when a flood strikes.

What does that mean for owners?
For this reason, it's often a good idea for insurance agents to encourage consumers to closely examine their policies, the report said. By doing so, they might discover some issues that could present themselves in the event of a flood. In general, the rule of thumb is that water damage caused by rain falling from the sky is covered under standard home insurance policies, but those coming up from the ground - such as floods, or even sewer backup - is not. As such, many owners may need to have a secondary flood insurance policy, even if they are not eager to take on the additional cost. That price, however, is likely to be far less than the cost associated with repairing such damage without insurance.

Agents who can help consumers identify these potential issues well before they become problematic might go a long way toward improving their relationships with clients overall. That, in turn, will probably help them to see more business, because studies show consumers are less eager to shop around as a result of good customer service.

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