NORFOLK, Va. — In the Colonial Place neighborhood, Deborah Miller and Gary Chiaverotti's house used to flood.
"Any time it would flood, it would be tens of thousands of dollars," Chiaverotti.
That led them to work with FEMA and the city to raise their house about six feet above the ground.
"I love my house. I love living here," said Miller.
Their story of resiliency is a reminder of how vulnerable Hampton Roads is to flooding.
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"Flood season in Hampton Roads is year-round. It's not just tied to hurricanes," said Ben McFarlane, Chief Resilience Officer at the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
News 3 talked with him about a big topic this time of year: flood insurance.
"I think there are a lot of misconceptions about the cost of flood insurance for some people. It can be quite expensive, but for most people out there it's actually very reasonable," said McFarlane.
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While some private options may be available in some cases, the vast majority of people in Hampton Roads can get flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program, which is backed by the federal government and FEMA.
McFarlane says for some, it may just be a couple hundred dollars a year.
"I would encourage people to look into it," he said.
A policy may be tied to people's mortgages, but that's not always the case.
"It can be a very smart, a wise decision for a lot of people. It's the best way to protect yourself from the risk of flooding," said McFarlane.
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If local governments participate in FEMA's Community Rating System, they can help people who live in the cities get discounts on flood insurance policies. Norfolk is currently scored five out of ten, meaning people are eligible for a 25-percent discount.
"Flooding is becoming a way of life unfortunately in many community and our building codes, our land use ordinances, and our insurance coverages are in a desperate game of catch-up right now," said Rob Moore from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Moore thinks it's important for people to consider getting flood insurance and notes once people are in the National Flood Insurance Program, they generally can't be dropped.
"Contrast that with a private insurer, where they might choose to drop your coverage after one major claim. FEMA doesn't have that ability," said Moore.
The commission has a website to help spread awareness about flood insurance. For more information, click here.
