Don't Waste Your Money | Do you need flood insurance?

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- If you end up with water in your home from a storm, it can cost a pretty penny for clean up and repair. Would your insurance cover it?

A woman's rental home was hit by a storm and she is trying to come to terms with what happened.

Floodwaters came up three feet, soaking carpet, drywall, and almost all of her belongings.

Her landlord said it's going to be a long road to recovery, physically and financially.

Typically, anything that's hit by water has to be thrown out, costing thousands of dollars, and most of it won't be covered by insurance.

Some sewer departments will help with costs if it was caused from a storm drain backup, but if it was just a runoff from a nearby hill - it's out of their hands.

To prevent a situation like this, consider looking into flood insurance, especially if you are in a low spot.

If it is too expensive, ask your insurance company about drain backup coverage, which is a simple add on to most policies.

In the Louisville area, MSD said in a statement that drain or sewer backup coverage "would not cover damage created by surface water," according to an insurance provider who works with the agency.

If the area around a home is flooded, and is thought to be the main source of indoor flooding, MSD said drain coverage wouldn't have been considered "even if the drains outside were stopped up."

If that were the case, the person would need flood insurance, which MSD's insurance provider said has limits if the area is a basement or sunken area in a home.

They also said it's possible the sewer district would have limits on what it might cover, and that drain and sewer backup coverage would have to be purchased from a person's insurance carrier, and "does not cover damage that entered the home by surface water."

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