The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon had special guest speaker Meteorologist Jeff Linder Oct. 11 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and he explained why flood insurance is so important. Linder said Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida and warned of the potential dangers in its wind speed. "The wind speed for Michael when it made landfall was 155 mph sustained ... for Harvey when it made landfall [it was] ... 130 mph. Michael's wind speed had 251 times more damage potential. One day we will also face a 150 mph wind speed," Linder said. Some residents believe flood insurance is not necessary if their home did not flood during Harvey. Linder responded that these are false beliefs because there are areas that did not flood during Harvey but did experience flooding during other hurricanes. "The number one thing I heard was 'Well, I didn't flood during Harvey. I'm never going to flood. I don't need flood insurance.' In these areas [Jersey Village] not a single home flooded during Harvey [but] over 300 flooded on Tax Day ... they will flood again in Jersey Village," Linder said. Linder explained how many homes did not have flood insurance during Harvey. "154,170 is the number of homes that flooded during Harvey. Only 36 percent had flood insurance," Linder said. Homeowners with flood insurance received an average payout of $120,000. Homeowners without flood insurance averaged between $4,000 and $7,000. "There are no stronger statistics than that right there for flood insurance," Linder said. Linder said it is important to plan ahead for hurricane season—"We won't always have two-day notice. It is important to have a plan."