rita jiang reports. >> reporter: rising floodwaters for thousands in and around houston to evacuate andve behind their homes and possessions. >> there is water in all of the beds in the house. we lost every strip of furniture, every couch, everything. >> reporter: but it appears for most of the victims, insurance will not cover the damage. >> a lot of uncertainty now. >> reporter: chuck watson with end key holdings tracks the financial impact of natural disasters. he says most mortgage companies require government flood insurance only for homes within maybe as much as two-thirds of the damage happened outside of the flood zones. >> reporter: the insurance information institute says only 15% of the homes in houston's largest county have flood insurance. after previous storms like katrina and sandy, the government stepped in to help uninsured homeowners, but it can be difficult to get paid. >> it is agonizing. it can take weeks and months. in some people in sandy it took years. >> reporter: jill schlesinger says anyone at risk of flooding should be prepared for the worst. >> every single