New Jersey has experienced heightened demands for new flood insurance options as the threat of sea-level rise, coastal and inland flooding intensifies throughout the state. Responding to the need for coverage, Wright National Flood Insurance Services, LLC (WNFIS) and Zurich North America (Zurich) are launching the Zurich Residential Private Flood Insurance program throughout New Jersey on December 9. This first-of-its-kind, stand-alone product was launched in Florida earlier this year, and will eventually expand to 10 additional states.

Zurich Residential Private Flood Insurance was created to address the protection gap, which has become more urgent with the increased frequency and severity of major weather events. New Jersey is anticipated to face more than $10 billion in property damages due to flooding over the next 10 years – more than any other state in the United States.¹ When looking at the US as a whole, a startling 98 percent of counties throughout the nation have been impacted by flooding events.²

“With changing weather patterns and growing storm intensity across the country, the vast majority of homes are potentially at risk and most property owners need to consider the protection provided by flood insurance,” said Greg Massey, head of Programs for Zurich North America. “This innovative product offering expands coverage choices and helps bring simplicity to this area of the flood insurance marketplace.”

Similar to customization options available in standard personal lines coverages, this is the first flood coverage, admitted and regulated by the state of New Jersey, which allows property owners to tailor their flood insurance policy to their specific needs.

“We are offering flood coverage that is not one-size-fits-all,” said James R. Watje, Senior Vice President of Private Flood at Wright National Flood Insurance Services. “Each home we cover is as unique as the people living in it. That’s why we created a product that will not only help protect your home, but also has the flexibility to customize that protection.”

Zurich Residential Private Flood Insurance will be sold exclusively by Wright’s partner agents and it is the only admitted stand-alone private flood option currently backed by an insurance provider with an A+ rating from AM Best.

Key features of the coverage include:

• No waiting period
• No Elevation Certificate required
• Higher dwelling limits
• Single deductible
• Automatic replacement cost on both dwelling and personal property
• Loss of Use, Other Structures, and Building Ordinance coverages
• Optional Resiliency coverage (rebuilding with flood-resistive materials)

A string of recent hurricanes hitting the Northeast, as well as the uptick in coastal, inland and sunny-day floods throughout New Jersey have caused billions of dollars in damage. Moreover, since the 1970s, more than 3,300 homes and business in New Jersey have been repeatedly flooded and repaired.³ Through Zurich Residential Private Flood with automatic replacement cost coverage and Optional Resiliency coverage, property owners can rebuild with flood-resistive materials, decreasing the impact of future floods.

Mother Nature doesn’t follow lines on a map. Flood protection is important regardless of location or flood zone, because it doesn’t take a historic event to significantly impact property. Just a few inches of water can cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. Moreover, flood plains are constantly in flux as New Jersey’s population growth continues to spur new residential and commercial development. Simply put, concrete doesn’t absorb water, so the more developed land a community has, the more susceptible it is to damaging floods. Fortunately, with Zurich Residential Private Flood Insurance, property owners recover quicker and more fully after a flood event.

“Following the successful launch of our Zurich Residential Private Flood Insurance program in Florida a couple months ago, we are pleased to now be expanding the program to New Jersey and look forward to making customizable flood insurance a nationwide standard as we roll out the program across the country throughout 2020, ” added Watje.

Property owners with questions about their policy or those interested in purchasing flood coverage and want to learn more about Zurich Residential Private Flood Insurance can contact their local Wright agent today.

To find a Wright agent, or if you are an agent who wants to become a Wright partner, please visit: http://www.wrightflood.com

About Wright National Flood Insurance Services, LLC

Wright National Flood Insurance Services, LLC (WNFIS) provides private flood insurance products in 11 states with plans to continue building out the flood insurance marketplace. WNFIS offers Wright’s Excess Flood coverage in 42 states and is a Coverholder at Lloyd’s, offering several excess and surplus lines products with AM Best A- (Excellent) rated carriers. Contact Wright National Flood Insurance Services, LLC at 1-866-373-5663 for more information.

About Zurich North America

Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to construction and include more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500. We’ve backed the building of some of the most recognizable structures in North America — from the Hoover Dam to Madison Square Garden to the Confederation Bridge. Our North American, LEED Platinum® headquarters is located in the Chicago area. We employ approximately 9,000 people in North America and have offices throughout the U.S. and Canada. Further information is available at http://www.zurichna.com.

Rating as of September 25, 2019. A.M. Best is under continuous review and subject to change and/or affirmation. For the latest Best’s Ratings and Best’s Company Reports (which include Best’s Ratings), visit the A.M. Best website at http://www.ambest.com. The rating represents the overall financial status of the individual member companies of Zurich in North America, including Zurich American Insurance Company, and is not a recommendation of the specific policy provisions, rates or practices of each issuing insurance company.

References:
¹https://www.businessinsider.com/us-states-climate-change-flooding-risk-2018-7
²https://www.fema.gov/data-visualization-floods-data-visualization
³https://www.nj.com/data/2018/07/these_nj_properties_flood_over_and_over_again_costing_taxpayers_like_you_millions.html