As a wave moves into shore, the underlying topography where the depth of the water decreases causes an increase in the height of the wave as a natural phenomena, allowing it to penetrate even deeper inland. The unrelenting rainfall associated with a hurricane can overwhelm the natural ability of the rivers and streams to handle runoff from the storm, thereby causing a flood all by itself, or magnifying an already bad storm surge.



After the 2004 hurricane season, in which four hurricanes struck Florida (Charley, Ivan, Francis, and Jean), the cost of flood insurance escalated dramatically. This was followed by the destruction in 2005 by Hurricanes Dennis, Emily, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Storm surges and rainfall flooding from these hurricanes caused unbelievable damage, causing premiums to raise even further. These hurricanes had nothing on the 1969 Hurricane Camille storm surge, though. Camille struck near the Mississippi delta with 190 mile an hours winds, causing a whopping 24 foot surge.



Insurance limits set by the National Flood Insurance Program are $250,000 per home, and $100,000 for personal property damage. Shoreline buildings are excluded, as the government clearly tries to discourage building in areas with high potential for widespread flood damage. You can visit insurance company websites to get quotes on coverage for your own home. Quotes will of course be lower if you live in an area that is not prone to flooding. A 30 day waiting period before the policy takes affect is often included to prevent people from purchasing insurance as a storm approaches.