A Checklist for Agents After Every CAT Event
Texas Hill Country is proving, for the second July in a row, that flash flooding doesn’t need a hurricane to turn catastrophic. As of this week, Governor Abbott has issued a disaster declaration covering 59 counties, deployed over 800 vehicles and 1,300 personnel, and the Guadalupe River has crested well above flood stage in Kerr County — almost exactly one year after the July 2025 floods that killed more than 130 people and caused over a billion dollars in damage along the same watershed.
Hill Country isn’t unique in this — it’s just the current example. The same setup plays out along the Gulf Coast after tropical systems, in the Appalachian foothills and Southeast after slow-moving storms, and across Midwest river basins during spring melt and heavy rain seasons. Steep or saturated terrain plus intense rainfall equals fast water, regardless of the state on the map. Whenever the next event hits — wherever it hits — the checklist below is what should be running through your head.
☑️ Book Review (Do This First)
Pull every client with exposure along a river, creek, or flood-prone watershed in the affected area — not just those inside FEMA’s high-risk zones.
Remember: roughly a quarter of NFIP claims come from properties outside designated high-risk areas. Flood maps consistently underestimate flash-flood risk in hilly, canyon, or fast-draining terrain.
Flag any client whose flood coverage status you’re unsure of — you want that answer before they call you, not while you’re looking it up together.
☑️ Know the NFIP’s Current Status
Confirm for yourself: NFIP’s authority to write new or renewal policies lapsed on September 30, 2025, and hasn’t been reauthorized by Congress. Existing policies remain valid; new binds are not currently possible.
For clients without existing flood coverage: know which of your carrier partners are actively writing private/E&S flood. That market has picked up volume specifically because of the NFIP gap.
For clients who already hold NFIP policies: confirm their declarations page is current and they know where to find it.
☑️ Get Ahead of the Claims Conversation
Direct clients to file directly with their carrier’s 24/7 catastrophe line — that’s the fastest path to an adjuster and emergency funds, faster than routing through the agency first.
Remind them a presidential disaster declaration is not required to file an NFIP claim — they can file the moment it’s safe to return to the property.
Push documentation now: photos and video of standing water and damage before anything gets moved or cleaned up.
Flag that NFIP does not cover Loss of Use — displaced clients need to know that gap sits with their homeowners policy or out-of-pocket.
Make sure clients know advance payments are often available on NFIP claims.
Position yourself as the advocate, not the intake point: tell clients explicitly to call you if they hit delays or communication issues with an adjuster — that’s where you earn your keep in a CAT event.
☑️ Reach Out Before They Call You
Send a short, calm check-in to every client in the affected area — confirm they’re safe, confirm their coverage, give them one clear next step if they’ve sustained damage.
Don’t wait for a renewal cycle to have this conversation. The agencies that come out ahead relationship-wise are the ones who called first.
☑️ Close the Protection Gap Going Forward
Once the immediate response settles, revisit flood coverage with every client who declined it before — especially anyone who assumed “not in a flood zone” meant “not at risk.”
Remember the stakes: one inch of floodwater can cause up to $25,000 in damage.
Have the private flood market conversation. It’s expanding specifically to fill the NFIP gap, and it’s a coverage option worth explaining even to clients who didn’t need it a year ago.
☑️ Know Your Exposure (The Downside)
This isn’t just a client-service moment — it’s an exposure moment for your agency too.
Get a signed decline on file for every client who turns down flood coverage. Failure to offer or properly explain flood coverage is the single largest E&O lawsuit trigger for P&C agents — not a minor claims category, the top one.
Understand that these claims don’t require actual wrongdoing to be filed. An insured alleging they asked for “full coverage” and never got flood clearly explained is enough to trigger a claims-made E&O suit, regardless of how the conversation actually went. Documentation is your only real defense.
Build the decline form into your standard workflow now, not after the next event — it should be as routine as any other signature on the file.
☑️ Know Your Opportunity (The Upside)
While you’re closing the exposure gap, there’s real business on the table too.
Private residential flood insurance has grown at roughly 20% annually since 2020, and the overall flood insurance market is projected to nearly double — from about $17.5B in 2026 to $37B by 2030.
The NFIP lapse is actively accelerating that growth. One independent agency reported 94% of its flood placements in the last 12 months were private policies rather than NFIP.
Writing private flood typically requires no special licensing beyond your standard P&C authority. There’s little excuse not to have this conversation with every client, not just the ones sitting in a flood zone.
The Bottom Line
Flash flooding doesn’t check a map before it hits, and Hill Country’s back-to-back events are proof it can happen again almost exactly a year later — in Texas or anywhere else with the right terrain and the wrong storm. The agents who serve clients best in a CAT event aren’t the ones with the most polished renewal pitch. They’re the ones who know their book’s exposure cold, understand exactly what NFIP can and can’t do right now, and pick up the phone before their clients have to.
To explore the possibilities of becoming an independent agent within an alliance, you are a licensed P&C insurance agent with 12-18 months of experience. If you are, please visit Pacific Crest Services to set up a confidential discussion, or call us now to speak to one of our sales team. Contact us at 208-938-4197.
The contents of this article are for informational purposes only. You should not act or refrain from acting based on this information without first consulting a licensed agent at info@pacificcrestinsurance.com. We disclaim all liability for actions taken or not taken by you based on the contents of this article, which is provided "as is." Pacific Crest Services makes no representation that this content is error-free.
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