Additional Flood Information
Flood Basics
Myth | Fact |
---|---|
My homeowner’s policy will cover any flood damage. | Not all homeowner’s policies cover flood damage. Check your policy and/or with your insurance agent. Flood insurance can also be purchased from FEMA. |
It has never flooded here, so it never will. | Floods are caused by weather conditions and are unpredictable. Flooding can occur anywhere under the right conditions. |
There was a flood problem, but it has been fixed. | Although some flooding issues can be mitigated it is very difficult to fix a flooding problem. |
If flooding was a problem, someone would have told us. That’s why we pay taxes. | Check with Polk County Floodplain Management (863) 534-6765 to find out if an area has flooded in the past or to determine if you are in a Special Flood Hazard Area. |
It’s only water. It’s no big deal to be flooded. | Even a few inches of water can bring thousands of dollars in repair and restoration costs. |
We just had a 100-year flood, so my family will be safe from future flood for the rest of their lives. | The 100-year flood has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. Statistically there is more than a 1 in 4 chance of this type of flood occurring during a 30-year mortgage, however they can occur much more frequently. |
Other Links
- Alert Polk – Sign-Up for to receive alerts on your phone or via email.
- City of Lakeland Flood Prevention
- Polk County Map Viewer
- Polk County Water Atlas with real-time rain station data
- Flood Insurance
- Flood Insurance Rate Maps
- Polk County Elevation Certificates Call for Lake Alfred
- National Weather Service
- Southwest Florida Water Management District
- Community Rating System
- FEMA
- USGS Stream Gauge
For more information on Floodplain Management or the Community Rating System, please call (863)-291-5748 for Lake Alfred and (863) 534-6767 for Polk County.