Is Flood Insurance Mandatory in Kansas?

Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the US, causing damage of billions of dollars and putting millions of people at risk every year. Since flood damage isn’t covered by standard home insurance, you should get stand-alone flood insurance from Marla Williams Agency, serving many locations in Kansas. 

Is Flood Insurance Mandatory in Kansas?

Is flood insurance mandatory?

No Kansas law requires homeowners to buy flood insurance. However, if you have a mortgage and your home is located in a high-risk flood area, your lender will insist you purchase flood insurance. But whether flood insurance is compulsory or not, every homeowner and renter should have it because it can save you from a financial crisis.

Why you should buy flood insurance

The unpredictable nature of flooding in the US means that you have to be prepared all the time. And you don’t need to live along the coastline to be at risk of floods. Wherever it rains, the risk of flooding is always there.

Here are the reasons you should invest in flood insurance:

  • To protect your assets: Flood insurance protects your building structure and the contents inside when floods strike. This means you don’t have to start from scratch when floods strike. Your insurer compensates you to repair or even rebuild your home.
  • Flood damage is expensive: When floods strike, they leave untold damage behind. Just a one-inch rise in water level leads to repairs of about $25,000. If the floods are heavy, you can see how expensive it can get. 
  • Peace of mind: When you have flood insurance, you don’t have to live on the edge when the weatherman announces a heavy storm is on the way. You stay relaxed, knowing that your assets will be safe even after floods strike.

Ready to get started with flood insurance? Please get in touch with Marla Williams Agency for an affordable quote. We serve many locations in Kansas.

Unique Liability Tow Truck Driving Insurance Will Cover in Kansas

When you drive a tow truck in Kansas, you have unique liabilities that other vehicles just don’t have. By providing this critical service to Kansas residents in need, you assume responsibilities that the average business wouldn’t.

At Marla Williams Agency, we want Kansas tow truck drivers to have all the liability protection they need. Be sure that you are covered for every liability possible.

Towed Vehicles Liabilities

You will need to have towing insurance that comes with garage coverage when you offer a tow truck service. Should a vehicle of any kind become damaged while you are caring for it, you don’t want to be liable for that damage. Having a thorough tow truck driving insurance policy will help protect you against any possible problem here.

Collision Coverage

As a responsible tow truck driver, every time you tow a vehicle, you will be thinking of that liability the entire time. You will want to have collision coverage in the event that you get into an accident while you are towing someone else’s vehicle. 

General tow truck insurance along with additional collision liability coverage will help. You’ll want that coverage for your own vehicle, and for someone else’s.

Wrongful Repossession Insurance

Unfortunately, one of the jobs you have as a tow truck driver is towing repossessed vehicles. Sometimes that happens by mistake. That is called wrongful repossession.

There is insurance coverage for that. This will protect you from any legal liabilities when you tow the wrong vehicle or tow one by mistake.

Get a Quote

When you drive a tow truck in Kansas, you have unique liabilities that many other businesses don’t. At Marla Williams Agency, we want all Kansas tow truck drivers to be protected against every potential liability, of which there are many. To update your policy or get a new one, call us for a quote today.

What is covered by Landlord Insurance?

Landlord’s insurance can be your best friend in need, and folks at Marla Williams Agency put together helpful policies for such times of need. When things are going well, it is easy to view the insurance payment as an expense. Still, when things go wrong, for instance, when your rental property is damaged by a tornado (common in Kansas), vandalism, or someone steals all the copper pipes from your property, the landlord’s insurance policy will help you cover the cost of rebuilding and replacing damaged items. It will also protect you against damages caused by the tenants. For instance, if the tenant starts a kitchen fire and your property is damaged, you can claim to offset the cost from your pocket.

Landlord’s insurance also carries a liability component. If a liability claim is filed against you because your tenant sustains a bodily injury or their possessions are damaged on your property, the policy will help you cover any medical bills, legal fees, as well as any judgment and settlement costs.

In the event, your property is damaged to such an extent that it becomes uninhabitable, and it will take a couple of months to repair and fix the damage, the landlord’s insurance will compensate your lost rental income. The rental reimbursement component ensures that you continue to receive the rent payment as usual.

In addition to the standard items listed above, you may need more comprehensive coverage that includes damage from natural disasters, a rent guarantee insurance, or landlord’s contents insurance that pays for your damaged personal property in a rented space. At Marla Williams Agency in Kansas, agents will professionally advise you about priority risks to include in your personalized policy to ensure that you are protected against any unforeseen loss.

How To Know Your Flood Risk Level

Experts always say no one is really ever safe from floods, but how bad is your situation? Learning about your property’s risk level helps you prepare for flooding events while minimizing financial losses. Fortunately, there are many ways to know whether you’re in a low, moderate, or high-risk area, whether you’re in Kansas or any other part of America. Here are a few ways to find out:

Get a Flooding History Report For Your Property

If you are not the first person to live in your property, your previous owner must have a good history of the property. If you cannot reach them, your neighbor can help you crack it all up when you check their flooding history. Marla Williams Agency experts also recommend searching your property or other neighboring properties to know their risk level.

Use the FEMA Flood Map

The FEMA flood map shows overlays of unique floodplains and the risk around your property. In addition, you can sport labels such as “0.2 PCT annual Chances of flood hazard”. Check when the labels were adopted in your area. If the date is not too recent, you can head to the dynamic map to see the updated versions.

Keep Track of your Surroundings

Flood zones and floodplain designations tend to change over time due to the new constructions and topography changes. Therefore, if you are living in your home for a long time, be sure to keep track of the changes at least every five years to know whether your flood risk level is deteriorating or not.

Look Into Your and Flood Insurance

Your flood insurance can tell a lot about your property. The policy should contain all the details of the exact location and flood risk level. Remember your insurance provider will need to check the risk level to determine your premiums.

Buying flood insurance in Kansas, but not sure where to start? Marla Williams Agency can help you find a policy that matches your needs. Call us today.

Restaurant Insurance Requirements in Kansas

If you are the owner of a restaurant, you might be interested in restaurant insurance. If this is the case, you may want to consider working with an agency such as Marla Williams Agency.

If you are a restaurant owner in Kansas, you will need three basic types of insurance. These include property coverage, liability coverage, and employee coverage. Each of these insurance types will come with both general and specific coverages. You will always need general coverage, and the specific coverages are going to be specific to certain types of restaurants.

General property coverage will protect you in giving you replacement value for the loss of either your building or movable property located inside your building, such as chairs and tables. It would be best if you kept in mind that it will generally not cover immovable personal property, such as equipment in your kitchen that may be bolted down.

Commercial general liability insurance is also important, as it will protect your restaurant from the prices of certain problems that might come up with your customers, such as accidents or food-related illnesses. It would be best if you kept in mind that general liability coverage does not cover liquor-related incidents, which is why it is important in some cases to purchase liquor liability as well.

You will also need to purchase employee insurance for your restaurant, as workers’ compensation is legally required. This will pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation expenses when an employee is injured at work.

If you are interested in learning about restaurant insurance in the state of Kansas, you should feel free to contact the professionals at Marla Williams Agency. They will be able to answer any questions that you might have and can point you in the right direction regarding the right policy for your restaurant.