Hurricane season is approaching. Who needs flood insurance in Florida

• Atlantic Hurricane Season is coming up. Since many flood insurance policies take 30 days to take effect, it's worth determining if you need one in advance.
• Flood insurance is mandatory for any home or business in a high-risk flood area with a federally-backed mortgage.
• FEMA's website allows people to check if they live in a high-risk area.

Atlantic hurricane season is coming up, with South Florida considered to be particularly vulnerable as compared to the rest of the state. For those living in areas at high risk of flooding within the region, insurance is worth consideration — or even mandatory.

According to Colorado State University's April 9 yearly seasonal forecast, there's a 74% probability that a named storm will pass within 50 miles of Florida's coast and a 21% chance that a major hurricane could do the same during the 2026 hurricane season — which will last from June 1 to November 30.

Monroe County, which includes the Florida Keys, has the highest chance of seeing a hurricane come within 50 miles, while Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach are also among the top 10 counties at risk of being affected.

Flood insurance is required for any home or business in a high-risk flood area with a federally-backed mortgage, according to FEMA. Policies are typically effective 30 days after being purchased.

Who needs flood insurance, and how can you get it?

Homes and businesses in "high-risk flood areas with mortgages from government-backed lenders" are all required to have flood insurance, according to FEMA.

“Floods can happen anywhere. Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage,” reads FEMA’s website. “Flood insurance is a separate policy that can cover buildings, the contents in a building, or both, so it is important to protect your most important assets — your home, your business, your possessions.”

Managed by FEMA, The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides flood insurance to property owners, renters and businesses, which “helps them recover faster when floodwaters recede,” as few private homeowners' policies offer that coverage. Insurance is available to anyone living in a participating NFIP community, of which there are 22,600.

There's usually a 30-day waiting period for an NFIP policy to go into effect.

How to know whether you live in a high-risk area

In order to determine whether your home or business is in a high-risk flood area, you can input your address on FEMA’s website.

You could need flood insurance whether you're in a high-risk zone or not, according to FEMA. If you live in an area with "low or moderate flood risk," you're still five times more likely to experience a flood than a fire at your home over the next 40 years.

Discounts for some Miami-Dade residents

According to Miami-Dade County's website, a 35% discount is included in the rate "to those residents in unincorporated Miami-Dade who are in a flood zone and purchase flood insurance policies."

A 35% discount is also available to those outside flood zones, "with the exception of Preferred Risk policies."

Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.