Protection of Property

Flood Hazard

Some low-lying areas of Kettering are subject to flooding caused by water settling on flat areas and by overflow of the Little Beaver and Little Sugar creeks. Houses have been built along the stream channel in some areas, so that once the stream leaves its banks, it can quickly spread across back yards or parking lots and into basements of homes and commercial buildings.

In both 1959 and 1973, storms caused flood damage to Kettering homes. Damages from the 1973 storm were estimate at more than $800,000, of which $750,000 was to private homes. Other areas, including Houk Stream, Penn Creek and the Moraine Drainage Stream continue to cause potential problems.

Protect your property

To help safeguard your belongings, follow these guidelines:

Elevate or relocate your electrical panel box, furnace, water heater or washer and dryer; place interior floodwalls around utilities.
Install interior and exterior backwater valves and basement floor drains.
If time permits, move essential items and furniture to upper floors in your home.
Keep materials like plywood, plastic sheeting and lumber handy for emergency waterproofing

Flood insurance

Standard homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover losses due to flooding. Kettering, however, is a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program which enables you – the property owner – to obtain federally backed flood insurance.

Flood insurance can cover structural items which are permanently attached to the house including the furnace and/or contents. The actual cost will vary depending on the amount of coverage and the degree of flood hazard. Although we encourage everyone living in the floodplain to safeguard their property and belongings with flood insurance, it is actually a requirement in some instances such as when purchasing a federally backed mortgage.

Mandatory Flood Insurance Purchase

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a federal program enabling property owners in participating communities to purchase flood insurance on eligible buildings and contents, whether they are in or out of a floodplain. This community participates in the NFIP, making federally backed flood insurance available to its property owners.

The NFIP insures most walled and roofed buildings that are Principally above ground on a permanent foundation, including mobile homes, and buildings in the course of construction. Property owners can purchase building and contents coverage from any local property and casualty insurance agent. To find a local insurance agent that writes flood insurance in your area visit Flood Smart.

Mandatory purchase requirement: Pursuant to the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 and the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994, the purchase of flood insurance is mandatory for all federal or federally related financial assistance for the acquisitions and and/or construction of buildings in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). An SFHA is defined as any A or V flood zone on a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)

The mandatory purchase requirements also applies to secured loans from such financial institutions as commercial lenders, savings and loan associations, savings bank, and credit unions that are regulated, supervised, or insured by federal agencies, such as the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Comptroller Currency, the Farm Credit Administration, the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the National Credit Union Administration. It further applies to all loans purchased by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in the Secondary mortgage market.

Federal financial assistance programs affected by the laws include loans and grants from agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Small Business Administration, and FEMA disaster assistance.

How it works: When making, increasing, renewing, or extending any type of federally backed loan, lenders are required to conduct a flood zone determination using the most current FEMA FIRM to determine if any part of the building is located in an SFHA. If the building is in an SFHA, the federal agency or lender is required by law to provide written notification to the borrower that flood insurance is mandatory as a condition of the loan. Even though a portion of real property on which a building is located may lie within SFHA, the purchase and notification requirements do not apply unless the building itself, or some part of the building, is in the SFHA. However, lenders, on their own initiative, may require the purchase of flood insurance even if a building is located outside an SFHA. Up to 25% of all NFIP flood losses arise from outside SFHAs (B, C, and X Zones).

Under federal regulations, the required coverage must equal the amount of the loan (excluding appraised value of the land) or the maximum amount of insurance available from the NFIP, whichever is less. The maximum amount of coverage available for a single-family residence is $250,000 and for non-residential (commercial) buildings is $500,000. Federal agencies and regulators, including government-sponsored enterprises, such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, may have stricter requirements.

Montgomery County Floodplain Information and Maps

FEMA FIRM (Flood Insurance Rate Map)

Substantial improvement requirements

Any additions, improvements and repairs done to buildings in the floodplain that equal or exceed 50 percent of the existing building’s value must be treated as a new building. Substantially improved or substantially damaged residential building must be elevated to or above the base flood elevation.

Floodplain development permit requirements

Permits are required prior to beginning any development in the floodplain whether commercial or residential. There are penalties when permits are not obtained or regulations met. Please call the City’s Planning and Development Department at 296-2441:

Before beginning any type of ground disturbance or construction.
If you have any questions about permit requirements, including those concerning property protection or substantial improvements.
Or to report questionable conduct.