Today's Article

This happened last month in Scotch Plains, NJ.

This is the result of the Green Brook River 2overflowing, and these heavy rainfall events are becoming stronger and happening more frequently all over the country.

A recent study from the nonprofit group Climate Central found hourly 3rainfall rates have grown heavier in nearly 90% of large U.S. cities since 1970.

"That is the most 4terrifying type of damage. It's the one I fear the most."

Holden Lewis with NerdWallet says if your home floods and you don't have flood insurance, you could be stuck 5paying out of pocket to fix the 6damage because standard home insurance does not cover flooding. 

"Even a minor flood can be very expensive.

Experts say these rain events can be worse in the summer. When the jet stream shifts farther north and there's less of a temperature difference between the 7equator and the Earth's poles, these storms can become slower.

When storms slow, rain falls faster than the ground can 8absorb it, or infrastructure can 9drain it, which is how this happened in Chicago last month, where a 10stalled storm system dropped as much as 5 inches of rain in just 90 minutes.

"So many houses are near little 11creeks, little 12canals that are 13placid 99.99% of the time, but in a really, really heavy rainstorm, they can flood and they can flood really quickly."

Lewis recommends everyone should have flood insurance.

According to NerdWallet, the average flood insurance cost in the U.S. is around $899 a year.

But if you don't have it and your home floods, NerdWallet recommends people should look at 14FEMA 15grants, local government assistance and nonprofit help.