Shop around. If both options are available to you, try to get quotes from both the NFIP and private insurers. (An agent or broker can help.) Note that all of the NFIP's partner companies offer the same flood insurance coverage and maximum payouts, so you don't need to shop around with multiple FEMA-approved providers.

The average cost of flood insurance in Florida is $628 per year. This cost is based on the number of flood-prone areas in the state and individual property risks. Premiums may vary depending on your state and country, but they are usually more expensive in moderate-risk or high-risk flood zones.

Texas Flood Insurance Cost Per County

In Florida, the nation's most flood-prone state, 19 percent of households have flood insurance.

If FEMA grants the map amendment or revision request, the property owner may no longer be required to pay flood insurance. The property owner may send the determination document to their lender and request that the federal flood insurance requirement for the structure be removed.

You can also call the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at 877-336-2627. For residential properties, you can secure coverage up to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for the building contents.

The most expensive state for flood insurance is Connecticut with an average cost of $1,491 a year.

• Connecticut.
• Hawaii.
• Massachusetts.
• Rhode Island.
• New Jersey.

NBC News has identified 148 deaths related to Hurricane Ian in Florida, based on public records obtained from local and state authorities (see the full methodology below). An NBC News analysis found that 119 were attributed specifically to the flooding, winds and other dangerous conditions during the storm.

One reason for this is that FEMA's flood insurance requirements don't capture current risk. Flood insurance is required for homeowners who have a federally backed mortgage and live in designated high-risk flood areas.

State, county and local government services Survivors can reach out to their local emergency management departments to find more information about flood damage assistance. Local governments may be able to point you to shelters, provide disaster unemployment assistance and help with applications for federal aid.

Moderate- to low-risk flood areas are designated with the letters B, C, and X on FEMA flood maps. In these areas, the risk of being flooded is reduced, but not completely removed. One in three insurance claims come from moderate- to low-risk flood areas.

There are more than five million policyholders nationwide and the NFIP is the nation's largest single-line insurance program providing nearly $1.3 trillion in coverage against flood.