It’s one of the most common-and most costly-misunderstandings in home insurance: “My homeowners policy covers flooding.” It doesn’t. Not even close.
Homeowners insurance and flood insurance are two entirely separate policies that cover two very different types of water damage. If you own a home in the Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, or greater NEPA area, understanding the difference could save you tens of thousands of dollars.
What Homeowners Insurance Covers (Water-Related)
Your standard homeowners policy does cover certain types of water damage-but only when the water comes from inside or above, not from the ground up:
Burst pipes. A frozen pipe that bursts in your Scranton basement during a January cold snap? Covered.
Accidental overflow. A washing machine or dishwasher that leaks or overflows? Covered.
Rain through a damaged roof. If a storm damages your roof and rain enters the home through the opening? Covered.
Ice dams. Water that backs up under your roof shingles due to ice buildup? Generally covered.
The key distinction: all of these involve water entering from an internal source or through structural damage caused by a covered peril. The moment water rises from the ground-whether from a river, storm runoff, saturated soil, or snowmelt-you’re in flood territory, and your homeowners policy steps out.
What Flood Insurance Covers
Flood insurance covers damage caused by flooding from external water sources. This includes:
River or creek overflow. The Lackawanna River, Roaring Brook, or any waterway that overflows its banks.
Heavy rain runoff. When rainfall exceeds what the ground and drainage systems can handle, and water enters your home.
Snowmelt. A rapid thaw after a heavy NEPA winter can send significant water flowing toward homes in low-lying areas.
Storm surge. Less common in NEPA but relevant in parts of eastern PA.
Mudflow. Water-saturated soil that flows onto your property.
Flood insurance policies are available through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), administered by FEMA, as well as through private flood insurance carriers. Both options are available through independent agents like Gilmartin.
Do You Need Flood Insurance in NEPA?
If your home is in a FEMA-designated high-risk flood zone (zones starting with A or V), your mortgage lender will require you to carry flood insurance. But even if you’re outside a high-risk zone, flood insurance is worth serious consideration.
Here’s why: according to FEMA, more than 25% of all flood claims come from properties in moderate- or low-risk areas. Flooding doesn’t respect zone boundaries. A heavy rainstorm, a clogged storm drain, or rapid snowmelt can push water into homes that have never flooded before.
In the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area specifically, the topography-valleys, hillsides, aging municipal drainage systems-creates conditions where localized flooding can happen even outside mapped flood zones. If you’re anywhere near a creek, river, or low-lying area, the risk is real.
How Much Does Flood Insurance Cost in Pennsylvania?
Costs vary based on your flood zone, elevation, coverage amount, and whether you go through the NFIP or a private carrier.
Through the NFIP, the average annual premium in Pennsylvania is roughly $800-$1,200, though homes in high-risk zones may pay more. Private flood insurance can sometimes offer better rates or higher coverage limits, depending on the property.
Important: NFIP policies have coverage caps-$250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents. If your home’s value exceeds those limits, you may want to supplement with a private excess flood policy.
Also worth knowing: flood insurance typically has a 30-day waiting period before coverage takes effect. You can’t buy it when a storm is already heading your way. Plan ahead.
Can You Have Both Policies?
Yes-and in most cases, you should. Homeowners insurance and flood insurance aren’t competing products. They’re complementary. One covers water from inside and above; the other covers water from outside and below.
Think of it this way: your homeowners policy is your everyday protection against fires, theft, storms, and internal water damage. Flood insurance is your protection against the one major water risk your homeowners policy specifically excludes.
Together, they give you comprehensive water damage coverage. Separately, you always have a gap.
What About Sewer Backup?
Sewer and drain backup is a third category that falls outside both standard homeowners and flood insurance. When heavy rain overwhelms municipal sewer systems in older NEPA towns and water backs up through your basement drains, neither your homeowners policy nor your flood policy will cover it by default.
The solution is a sewer backup endorsement added to your homeowners policy. It’s typically $40-$75 per year and covers a risk that is very real in Scranton’s older infrastructure.
Make Sure You’re Covered on All Fronts
Water damage is the single most common and most expensive type of property claim. And the biggest financial losses happen when homeowners assume they’re covered and find out-after the damage is done-that they’re not.
At Gilmartin Insurance Agency, we help homeowners across Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Clarks Summit, and the entire NEPA region understand exactly where their coverage stands when it comes to water damage. We’ll review your homeowners policy, assess your flood risk, and build a plan that eliminates the gaps.
Have questions or want to review your current policy? Contact us for a free, no-pressure conversation. We’ll help you understand exactly what you have, what you might be missing, and where you could save.
☎ Call us or request a free quote online today.
