Flood insurance in Newport Beach

Why Newport Beach property floods

Low ground and water on three sides. The peninsula, the island and the harbour-front streets sit close to the tide line, where a king tide with a storm behind it pushes water up through storm drains and over bulkheads.

Inland of the bay, the lower reaches of the Santa Ana River drainage carry winter runoff out to sea past some very flat, very valuable ground.

• Tide and storm arriving together is the combination that matters
• Storm drains can run backwards when the bay is high
• Ground-floor and dock-level space carries most of the exposure

Your property policy excludes it

Homeowners, condo, renters, landlord, commercial property and most business owner’s policies all carve out water that rises from outside the building. That is true in Newport Beach the same as everywhere else, which is why flood is bought as its own policy. A waiting period normally applies, so buying once a storm is forecast is usually too late.

Nearby: Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, San Diego. Or see flood insurance generally.