Most U.S. homeowners hit by Hurricane Helene don't have flood insurance

Homeowners whose properties were swamped by Hurricane Helene's torrential rainfall face a serious problem beyond drying out: how to pay for the cleanup.

That's because most Americans, including in the communities ravaged by the massive storm, lack flood insurance.

As the aftermath of the hurricane's ruinous and deadly route across the Southeast illustrates, the alarming lack of flood insurance coverage among an overwhelming majority of people impacted serves as a cautionary tale for the rest of us, experts say.