Insurance Information Institute

Hurricane season comes every year, and 90% of natural disasters nationwide involve flooding. Yet less than a fifth of U.S. homeowners have a flood insurance policy. With Hurricane Irene poised to hit the U.S. this weekend, now may be a good time to ask: Are you covered, and should you be?

With the season now officially underway -- and predictions call for a doozy -- coastal regions along the Gulf and the Atlantic are facing the potential for major losses. State-run insurers could feel the most financial pain.

I have a new nemesis. Its name is 287. Precisely a stretch of 287W between Exit 8 in White Plains, New York and the Tappan Zee Bridge. Driving home a few days ago, I felt like the little frog in the old video game except rather than manically switching lanes trying to avoid getting smashed by...