Merle Scheiber's dream home wasn't in a flood plain, and he didn't have flood insurance.
Just after completing a three-year renovation project for his 1,800-square-foot cabin-style home, flooding put it underwater for almost four months. Now he's working on an entirely different kind of renovation project.
"I'm in the process of tearing it apart myself and putting it back together," says Scheiber, who is also the director of insurance for South Dakota.
He advocates that homeowners -- even those who do not live in designated flood plains -- weigh the dangers and their options and seriously consider buying flood insurance.
"You need to assess your risk," Scheiber says. Griffin says 1 in 4 flood claims is for a home that isn't in a flood plain.