Through a federal government program, you can get a flood insurance policy to cover up to $250,000 in damages. Unfortunately, most folks do not go to the trouble of getting the special flood policy.

Sadly, this is the case for far too many folks on the Gulf Coast.

The National Flood Insurance Program was created by Congress back in 1968 to provide disaster relief for flood victims. If a property is deemed to be in a Special Flood Hazard Area, flood insurance is required by law when applying for any type of financing. But flood insurance is optional in lower risk areas. While it might be optional, in many cases, it's still a very good idea...