FloodInsights Provides National Flood and Florida Sinkhole Reports
Sinkholes have become a very hazardous and costly risk in Florida. There are certain counties: Pasco, Hernando, and Hillsborough where the land is inundated with sinkholes. However over the last few years the risk of sinkhole and subsidence events has been spreading geographically. According the state of Florida, 211 property insurers noted that claims increased from 2,360 in 2006 to 6,694 in 2010. The total dollar amount of those claims was near $1.4 billion dollars.
There has not been a simple answer to why sinkhole incidents have been on the rise in Florida. It is believed that heavy rain, massive pumping of groundwater, the creation of new buildings, streets and retention ponds have all played a role. In order to help residents of Florida get a better handle on sinkhole activity, FloodInsights recently created the first sinkhole report for appraisers, homeowners, mortgage and real estate professionals. By simply typing in an address, it’s possible to get a FEMA flood report and a sinkhole report with the distance to, and number of sinkholes (within a ½ mile and 1 mile radius.) Users are also able to see on an aerial map exactly where these sinkhole risks are in their neighborhood.
Appraisers and real estate professionals are now able to easily obtain flood and sinkhole reports to notify homebuyers if they are potentially at risk. Each flood and sinkhole report costs only $9.95, but in the long run could save homeowners hundreds of thousands of dollars by obtaining the correct sinkhole insurance. Anyone who is buying a house in Florida should be aware that our service is available to them and take advantage before anything catastrophic happens to their land or home.
Unlike the Florida Geological Survey which only offers a database of 3,400 sinkholes, FloodInsights’ database contains over 15,000 sinkholes and subsidence events and is continually updated. To learn more about this report, or to download a Florida sinkhole map, please visit: http://www.floodinsights.com/sinkholes.html. You can also contact Hallie Benjamin at 857.246.6659 or email her at hbenjamin@cdsys.com.
