GALVESTON — In the aftermath of a hurricane unusual in the fact that most of the damage was caused not by wind but massive storm surge, comes the news that only about 16,000 flood policies are in force on the island.

Only another 10,465 are in force in the rest of the county, according to the National Flood Insurance Program.

“We were all stunned that so few in a flood-prone county did have flood insurance,” said Jerry Johns, a spokesman for trade group Southwestern Insurance Information Service.

“We just couldn’t believe it.”

Only a smattering of private homeowner policies offer flood insurance; the remainder is through the federal flood program.

That so many island residents don’t have the insurance is a problem in a city where the main damage was caused by flooding, said Garry Kaufman, president of Galveston Insurance Associates.

Kaufman has seen the damage storm surge has done across the island, including in places that don’t typically flood.

Many island property and business owners, including those downtown, have told Kaufman they don’t have flood insurance, he said.

In some areas of the island, flood insurance is not required.

Daniel Villarreal is one island resident who did not have flood insurance. Villarreal said he wasn’t sure whether his house, Victory Street and Avenue Q½, was in an area where a flood policy was required.

Flood insurance is mandatory if you live in a high-risk area and have a mortgage from a federally regulated lender.

Villarreal’s house took in water all the way up to the ceiling.

He spent Friday morning picking through his waterlogged belongings and making plans to rebuild.

He said he wanted to raise the structure about 3 feet to prevent water from coming in next time.

But without insurance, Villarreal said he wasn’t sure how he was going to pay for it.

But there is hope. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has said it would help pay for flood damage repairs to uninsured structures that are not required to have a policy.

If Villareal’s home is in a part of the city where a flood policy is required, he’ll have to pay for all the repairs out of pocket.