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Ahead of the 2026 spring floods - what's hidden in your home insurance policy?

The unprecedented amount of snow in the fields and yards and the weather forecast for the spring of 2026 are causing legitimate concern for some of the country’s residents. Melting snow, rising rivers and spring rains threaten to test the strength of our home foundations again. However, while some are rushing to pack sandbags, others feel calm, believing that their property is protected by home insurance. But do you really know what your flood insurance policy says?

Does home insurance cover flood risk?

The main rule: "Suddenly and unexpectedly"

The essence of insurance is to protect against financial losses resulting from sudden and unexpected events. If an event is regular and recurring, it loses its “unexpected” status.

Therefore, in insurance rules, flooding is usually classified as a risk of natural forces and is defined as a sudden and unforeseen Flood – the inundation of a building or the property in it due to an unusual, sudden and unforeseen rise in the level of rivers, lakes, canals, ponds and other surface water bodies.

Important exception: According to the home insurance rules of most insurance companies operating in Lithuania, flood insurance coverage is not valid in areas where floods occur more often than once every 10 years.

How is this assessed in practice? Insurers rely on official statistical data from the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service under the Ministry of the Environment (LHMT). When assessing the probability of flooding in a specific area, the number of floods that have occurred over a 100-year period is analyzed. If the water level in that area has risen 10 or more times over a century, flooding in that area is considered a regular natural phenomenon, rather than a sudden natural disaster.

What does this mean for homeowners?

If your house is located in an increased risk area (for example, in the coastal area, near the lower reaches of the Nemunas River, or in the valleys of other regularly overflowing rivers), there is a high probability that a standard home insurance contract will not cover flood damage.

How do you know if your house is in a risk zone?

There is no need to guess or rely solely on the stories of your neighbors. You can find accurate and official information yourself:

  1. Visit the Environmental Protection Agency website: www.gamta.lt.
  2. Find Flood Hazard and Risk Maps.
  3. Enter your address and check which risk (flood probability) category your property falls into.

Homework before the flood begins

To avoid dire financial consequences, you should act now:

  • Read your insurance policy carefully: Pay special attention to the section “Non insurable events” Look for wording about the recurrence of flooding.
  • Take physical precautions: If insurance coverage does not apply to you, take physical precautions – clean drainage systems, purchase a water pump, move valuables to higher floors of the house.

Nature is increasingly showing its strength, so in 2026, the best weapon against the elements is not the hope that “maybe it will work out”, but a clear plan and good preparation.

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