Bud Kotrla said he reinforced the deck, now one flight up, beyond Baltimore County and federal flood zone building requirements as a precaution.
Upstairs, the house has been remodeled and repaired. The couple lost the third bedroom when they added the stairs to the ground floor. Because wind could turn ordinary outdoor containers into missiles, pink geraniums are silk, tied down in a planter that is bolted to the deck railing.
Lifting the house cut their risks of water problems and their flood insurance premiums.
"I like it and I feel safer," Charlene Kotrla said from her living room, which offers breathtaking views across Back River and toward the bay.
For property protection, homeowners should make two home checkups: annually on the house insurance policy and twice a year on the home itself.
Insurance is a touchy subject amid policyholder allegations that insurers have low-balled disaster claims. Homeowners should review insurance policies with their agent (and other professionals if they're unclear) so they understand it.
"You should make sure that your home is insured to value. That means to the replacement cost of your home," said Karen Barrow of the Maryland Insurance Administration.
It's up to a homeowner to know his coverage, including the exceptions, discounts, limits, deductibles and riders, said Robert Hunter, insurance director of the Consumer Federation of America. For example, repairs may force making an older home meet current codes, which may not automatically be covered, he said.
"It's a good idea to take pictures of your home and videotape your property," said Robert Stastny, a 33-year Nationwide agent in Baltimore. Give a copy, along with home documentation, to a friend elsewhere.
He advised understanding flood risk. If a home is close to water and low-lying, the flood risk is greater. For example, the risk is greater on Thames Street in Fells Point than on Harford Road near Parkville. Flood insurance rates reflect that, he said.
The National Flood Insurance Program and Federal Emergency Management Agency have flood-zone maps, which many insurance companies and local officials use.
"It's an estimate. Just because I am not on the map doesn't mean I am not going to be flooded," said Larry Larson, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.
Maryland is using the federal maps and working with federal authorities to update them, officials said.
