While further south than you, we live in West Palm Beach. We are about 15 miles total including the inter coastal waterway and Palm Beach from the ocean.
Flooding can happen almost anywhere there is water. Our closest call was a hurricane or tropical storm that hit and because of the concerns with Lake O at the time, water management decided to hold off on draining water from local canals into main canals that flow from the lake. Suffice to say the local canals overflowed and in turn many people got damage. We did not having a bit higher lot.
We have priced flood insurance and have always opted out. In fact at this point just getting good homeowners insurance is difficult since most of the quality companies have as they say "reduced their exposure". This is basically based on them losing the bet a strong hurricane would not hit.
Our house is paid off, and we are still not able to purchase simple fire, theft, style insurance. You must buy hurricane insurance. It has also been mentioned that they may mandate flood insurance even in the safe zones.
Each year I try to convince the wife that we should go self insured and be done with insurance. For the price they charge, I believe we could do better to take each years bill and invest it which should quickly be more than enough for all but the worst situations.
FWIW, over the last few weeks, we have had the exterior of our house redone where all the stucco was removed, all wood rot replaced, it now meets the current Miami code which is to install plywood over the studs (previously this was not required when our house was built), all the studs are now clipped top and bottom with approved clips and screws, all the sills are wedge anchored into the slab (previously nailed), replaced all windows, the sliding glass door, garage door, and front door with hurricane rated products. Plan is, no more shutters, minimal prep, fill the two Honda generators with gas and ride it out. We already had the entire roof redone to Miami code with the heavier plywood, ring shank nails and reshingled. This was about 12 years ago.
Ever since the one time they messed up opening the local locks and flooded the homes, water management begins lowering water levels often two or more days before a storm hits. So I am confident we won't flood from uprising water.
Obviously the things to consider are carpets, and drywall. With this rebuilding of the house, I was told we need to have 4 inches of concrete slab exposed, the final thing will be to grade a portion of the yard away to ensure all water drains away.
I think we will pass on the flood insurance one more time.
Best of luck in how you decide.
PK
