When we bought our new home, we got the basic insurance recommended by our mortgage company. It was our first house and we were new to things like mortgages and home owner’s insurance. Some neighbors got together and had a welcome party for us, so we were able to meet almost everyone. During the party, we started talking with one neighbor who mentioned a flood in the area a few years before. Apparently it had gotten pretty bad, even though normally the area does not get that much rain or flood. It seems that the neighborhood was just at the edge of a flood plain. We had no idea, so the conversation surprised us. We decided to add New Jersey flood insuarance as soon as possible, and we are glad we did. Last year we had one of those rare storms for several days and sure enough, the basement flooded. We were glad we were covered.