When floodwaters from Hurricane Helene engulfed homes and towns in western North Carolina, residents faced a harsh reality -- only 3% had flood coverage.
The Cane River took Sharon Hughes' home in Yancey County. She told WRAL's 5 On Your Side she sat on a hill and watched the waters rise from her door to the roof.
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"I’ve always been afraid of a fire, I never thought of being washed away in a flood," Hughes said.
Instead of moving or rebuilding her home, Hughes used the $55,070 she received from FEMA to pay for a wilderness-grade trailer. She plans to live in it permanently, partly because of the cost of insurance.
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey is urging more North Carolinians to buy flood insurance. Nationally, about 20% of U.S. homes have it, yet 90% of natural disasters involve flooding.
FEMA offers a tool where people can look up their address to determine their flood risk.
In a conversation with WRAL's 5 On Your Side, Causey shared his opinion, saying anyone living where it rains needs flood insurance.
The flood insurance industry, however, is in a state of turmoil. The National Flood Insurance Program or NFIP, which most people use for flood coverage, is $20.5 billion in debt.
"You only have people in high-risk areas that actually buy flood insurance, so you have a small amount of premiums going in and they’re all high-risk," Causey explained. "So when there is a claim there is a big payout, so it’s no wonder that the federal flood insurance program is in trouble."
"It can be very expensive," Don McClintock, an account executive with Insurance Pros, added.
According McClintock, NFIP isn’t a homeowner's only option.
"My experience is, the private programs are going to be a little less expensive than NFIP," he said.
Hughes was told flood insurance coverage would cost about $5,000 a year and said that’s not something she’s willing to pay. That's why she's decided to stay on her land in her own way, in her trailer.
"I love this community too much, there is no way I'm leaving unless I go with the river," Hughes laughed.
People who lost their homes to the storm can apply for FEMA assistance.
Find out how you can help western NC rebuild from Hurricane Helene.