Flood cover under the federal program
Federal flood cover is a separate product from a homeowner policy, and its terms follow the program's rules. The policy document is the place to check what it pays and what it excludes.
Serving Bossier Parish
Red River Flood Maps and Insurance in Bossier City
What the Red River flood maps do and do not show, and the questions to put to an insurer about water.
- Red River flooding
- Heavy storm rain
- Burst pipes and slab leaks
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Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Flood Maps & Insurance
Red River Flood Maps and Insurance: what it covers
Quick answer
The Red River does not take part in the National Flood Insurance Program, so the flood maps show no designated flood zone along it, according to the state's 2020 watershed notes. That is a fact about maps and insurance, not about risk. Whether a policy covers water is set by the policy wording and the insurer.
A flood map is a tool for the insurance system, and it answers a narrow question: whether a place is inside a designated flood zone under the National Flood Insurance Program. The Red River does not take part in that program, according to the state's 2020 watershed notes for the Region 1 flood risk presentation, so the maps show no designated flood zone along it.
That fact is easy to misread. A map that shows no zone is not a statement that water cannot reach a house, and the 2015 and 2016 floods in the local record show that water has reached Bossier City homes. It is also not a statement that a particular house needs or does not need insurance. The map describes the program's designations, and it does not describe what your policy will pay.
This page is for the homeowner who is looking at a map, a policy or a claim, and who wants to know what to check. It does not tell you whether to buy cover, and it does not estimate any premium. It sets out the questions that matter, and the insurer and the policy wording answer them.
- Service area
- Bossier City & Bossier Parish
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (833) 490-5225
Warning signs
Signs you need red river flood maps and insurance
Do not rely on a flood map alone to decide whether water is a risk for a house. Do not sign a policy, a waiver or a claim settlement without reading the wording and asking any question in writing. If water is entering a house now, the first step is safety and the drying, not the paperwork.
- A policy that refers to water in several sections, such as flood, surface water, sewer back-up and rain entering through a roof
- A map or document that uses the words zone, designation or program without explaining them
- A claim letter that cites an exclusion without quoting the wording
- An insurance quote or statement that mentions a flood zone without saying which map it used
- A mortgage or lender document that asks for proof of cover, with the wording unclear
- A claim that was paid for one kind of water and denied for another
Our process
How our red river flood maps and insurance visit works
Read the policy's water sections
Find every section of the policy that mentions water, flood, surface water, sewer back-up, rain or roof leaks. Note the definitions, because they decide which kind of water the policy covers.
Ask the insurer what the maps show and do not show
Ask the insurer, in writing, which map it used and what it says about the property. Ask what the designation means for the policy, and whether any endorsement changes the answer.
Keep the records that support a claim
Keep dated photographs, the drying log, receipts and a written timeline. These records are what a claim file needs, whatever the map shows.
Compare the answer with the wording
Check the insurer's explanation against the words of the policy, not against a summary. If they differ, ask for the difference in writing.
Use the complaint route if the answer is unclear
If the insurer cannot give a clear, written answer, the Louisiana Department of Insurance is the complaint route for claim questions. This page does not set out deadlines or limits, so ask the regulator how the process works.
Why does the Red River have no designated flood zone?
The state's 2020 watershed notes record that the Red River does not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, so there are no designated flood zones along it. The designation is a program fact, and it does not measure the water a particular house might take in.
A program designation is made under the program's rules, and a river that is not part of the program has no designation to show on the map. That is why the map looks empty, and why an empty map should not be read as a clean bill of health.
The local record shows water reaching Bossier City homes in June 2015 and March 2016. The maps do not record that, and the policy wording is where the question of cover is answered.
Does a map showing no flood zone mean my house is safe from water?
No. A map shows the program's designations and nothing more. Water can reach a house from a river, from heavy rain, from a burst line or from a drain, and each kind is handled differently in the policy.
The homeowner should not treat a flood map as a risk assessment. It answers a narrow question about designation, and it leaves the question of water damage to the policy and to the homeowner's own knowledge of the property.
A property that has taken in water before, or that sits near a bayou or a low corner of a lot, is best discussed with the insurer, and the answer should be in writing.
What should I ask the insurer about water?
Ask which kinds of water the policy covers, how it defines flood, what the exclusions are for rain and surface water, what the sewer back-up terms are, and whether any endorsement changes the answer. Ask for each answer in writing.
Ask the insurer to show you the section of the wording that supports each answer, and keep a copy with the claim file. A verbal answer that is not confirmed in writing is not enough to rely on.
If you are unsure whether a policy meets a lender's requirement, ask the lender and the insurer in writing. The answer is theirs to give, and this page does not give it.
What affects the cost of cover, and is there a figure here?
Premiums depend on the insurer, the coverage, the property and the wording, and this page publishes no premium or price figure. The decision whether to buy cover, and how much, belongs to the homeowner and the insurer.
Compare the wording of each policy, not only the premium. A lower premium that excludes a common kind of water may cost more in a claim than a higher one that covers it.
Ask the insurer to explain any difference between two quotes in writing, and keep both quotes with your papers.
What should I do if a water claim is denied?
Ask the insurer for the reasons in writing, with the section of the wording it relies on. Keep your own dated records and the crew's readings and photographs. If the answer remains unclear, the Louisiana Department of Insurance is the complaint route.
The complaint route is the regulator, not the crew. The crew can supply the drying records, but it cannot decide the claim or the appeal.
This page does not set out deadlines, statutes or limits for a claim, so ask the insurer and the regulator what applies to your claim and when.
Options
Types and options for red river flood maps and insurance
Water cover in a homeowner policy
A homeowner policy may cover certain kinds of water, such as a burst line or a roof leak, and exclude others, such as flood water. The wording decides which kind a given loss falls under.
Sewer back-up and drain cover
Water that comes back up a drain is often treated separately from flood water and from a burst line. Check whether the policy includes it and in what amount, in the wording and not in the summary.
Bossier Parish
Why red river flood maps and insurance is different in Northwest Louisiana
The Red River runs past Bossier City, across from Shreveport. The local record shows the river reached 37 feet at Shreveport-Bossier in June 2015, and that water flooded River Bluff and the Riverwalk. Those facts sit alongside a map that shows no designated zone, and the homeowner should read the two together.
For a Bossier City homeowner, storm rain matters as much as river water in the local record. The March 2016 rain flooded neighborhoods, including areas along Red Chute Bayou and Golden Meadows, and the policy's treatment of rain is a separate question from the river.
The state's 2020 watershed notes are the source for the statement about the program. They are a fact about maps and insurance, and they are not a flood-risk assessment for any house. The insurer and the policy wording answer whether a house is covered.
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Where we work
Red River Flood Maps and Insurance across Bossier Parish
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Bossier City
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Shreveport
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Haughton
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Princeton
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Benton
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Plain Dealing
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Elm Grove
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Blanchard
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Belcher
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Mooringsport
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Greenwood
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Gilliam
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Keithville
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Oil City
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Vivian
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Doyline
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Minden
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Sibley
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Cotton Valley
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Heflin
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Stonewall
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Frierson
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Hosston
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Dubberly
- Flood Maps & Insurance in Bethany
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Red River Flood Cleanup
Water removal, moisture mapping and structural drying for homes and shops flooded by high Red River water.
Insurance Claim Documentation
The drying log, readings, photographs and inventory that an insurer will ask for after water damage.
Heavy Rain Flood Damage
Storm water extraction, entry tracing and drying for homes flooded by heavy rain in Bossier City.
Commercial Water Damage Restoration
Water removal and drying for shops, offices and commercial space, with the daily records an owner needs for the insurer.
Guides
Read before you book
Red River Flood Stages and What They Mean for a Home in Bossier City
At Shreveport-Bossier, flood stage on the Red River is 30 feet and major flood stage is 33 feet, as reported in local news coverage.
Flood Maps and Flood Insurance in Louisiana: What the Map Does and Does Not Say
A flood map under the National Flood Insurance Program shows designated flood zones.
Water Damage Claims in Louisiana: The Complaint Route
If an insurer's answer on a water damage claim is unclear or unfair, the Louisiana Department of Insurance is the complaint route for claim questions.
FAQ
Red River Flood Maps and Insurance FAQs
Does the Red River have a flood zone?
The state's 2020 watershed notes record that the Red River does not take part in the National Flood Insurance Program, so the maps show no designated flood zone along it. That is a fact about the program's maps, and it does not say whether any house is at risk.
Do I need flood insurance in Bossier City?
This page does not say whether anyone needs cover. That decision belongs to the homeowner, the lender and the insurer. Ask the insurer what the policy covers and excludes, in writing, and compare that with what you need.
Will a crew help me with my insurance claim?
The crew provides drying logs, readings, photographs and a written report. It does not decide the claim, and it cannot promise what the insurer will pay. Those records are what the claim file uses.
Who do I complain to about a claim?
The Louisiana Department of Insurance is the complaint route for claim questions. This page does not set out deadlines, limits or statutes, so ask the regulator how to start and what it needs from you.
Does a map with no flood zone mean my policy covers rain?
No. The map and the policy are separate. Rain entering a house may be covered, excluded or limited by the wording, and the map does not decide that. Read the rain and water sections of the policy.
Who answers questions about permits after a flood?
The Bossier Parish and City of Bossier City permit offices answer repair-permit questions for their own jurisdictions. This page has not checked their fees or permit types, so confirm them with the office before work starts.