It was reportedly the first breach of the Lake Delhi dam in Eastern Iowa since it was built 83 years ago. History apparently led residents to not consider flood insurance.

"Reportedly no one had [flood insurance] because they never had water like this before," said Tom Alger, communications director with the Iowa Insurance Division. "It is a sad reminder that you need to be aware of the exclusion in policies."

Flood insurance is not covered by a standard homeowners or renters insurance policy. It is only available from the federal government. A 2008 poll by the Insurance Information Institute found 17 percent of Americans had a flood insurance policy purchased from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

In 2008, just 13,763 Iowans had a flood insurance policy, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers the program.

Mr. Alger said it is a requirement of lenders that a homeowner get flood insurance if the home is in a flood plain, but he was not aware what percentage of the homes affected by the recent floods fell into this category. He was also not aware of how many homes were owned outright in the lake community, known as a vacation spot.

The National Weather Service said heavy rain of 8-to-12 inches fell over the weekend and swelled Lake Delhi (also known as Hartwick Lake), made when the Maquoketa River was dammed. The dam is owned by the Lake Delhi Recreation Association.