North Georgia flood exposes flood-coverage gaps in agents' books of business
Summary
Insurance agents in north Georgia told Insurance Journal on Nov. 6, 2026 that most policyholders hit by record flooding on Nov. 5 lacked flood coverage. As much as 10 inches of rain fell, the Toccoa River hit a record 18 feet and at least 57 people were rescued. One agent said that of at least four heavily damaged policyholders, two had flood coverage. It was McCaysville's second flood this year.
TopCloserR Perspective
The takeaway
Clients skip flood coverage when they haven't seen a flood in decades, and then they're the ones left exposed. Help affected clients first. Then make the flood conversation a standard part of every review, and write down every time a client declines coverage.
Who gets the most from this
- In the role
- Your clients with homeowners' coverage only may be facing losses they assumed were covered, so expect hard calls.
- Aspiring
- Customer service reps at agencies moving toward managing a book — Learn to explain clearly what a policy does and doesn't cover; that skill builds trust before and after a loss.
- In the role
- Coverage gaps across your agency's book are both a client-care problem and an exposure your team should address.
- Aspiring
- Producers stepping into agency leadership — Set a standard for coverage reviews so gaps get raised before the next storm.
Put it to work
- Call affected clients before you talk about anything elseAccount Manager
Help them file claims or reach their carrier, and save coverage conversations for later.
- Add flood to every renewal reviewAccount Manager
Ask each client about flood coverage at renewal and record their answer, including any decline.
- Run a flood-gap check on your agency's bookSales Manager
Pull homeowners' policies in flood-exposed areas that have no flood coverage and assign follow-up calls.
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