Natural disasters are scary prospects, both in terms of loss of life and property damage. Thankfully, in most cases, you can depend on your home to protect you from the elements associated with a damaging natural disaster. What protects your home, though, from a common natural disaster like a tornado or severe thunderstorm? In short, comprehensive homeowners' coverage—based on the type of severe weather of which your area is suspect—can help protect your home in the event of a storm. Here is some more valuable information about homeowners insurance as it relates to storm damage:
In most cases, yes. However, there are some exceptions. This is based largely on the location of your home and how your policy is written, what is covered. Here are some common factors to remember about homeowners insurance and weather-related storm damage:
What it Does Cover: In most cases, comprehensive coverage will cover storm damage that results in ice or water damage. Policies will usually also cover power surges, damage from fallen trees, hail, wind or lightning strikes.
What It Doesn’t Cover: In many cases, comprehensive homeowners' insurance will not cover earthquake or flood damage. This type of damage needs to be addressed via a separate policy that outlines coverage associated with just those particular natural disasters.
There are many types of weather-related damage that can negatively impact your home. Make sure your homeowners’ plan includes as many types of damage as possible to ensure you have the widest coverage you can under your policy. Some of the most common types of damage associated with severe weather or even bad weather include the following varieties:
There is also a risk to you if you fail to maintain your property, even if the maintenance issues are from bad weather, like fallen branches. Therefore, it’s important for you to keep your property well maintained. Sweep up walkways, ensuring there are no hazards. Try to do preventative maintenance as well, removing dead limbs that could fall from trees or having unsafe trees taken down. This can help you avoid potential claims down the road. Even though your homeowners will cover this type of liability case, you don’t want to have to go through the hassle if you can prevent it by cleaning up your property and ensuring there aren’t obvious hazards waiting to happen.
If the worst happens and your home is damaged in bad weather, don’t panic. If you have homeowners coverage and the right kind of policies, your home is likely well-protected. Here are some tips to keep in mind immediately after your home has suffered damage from a storm:
It’s important to keep your home safe, this is even more important when a storm damages the inside or outside of your home. Make sure you’re covered in the event of a dangerous storm. This will ensure you won’t go bankrupt simply trying to repairs damages your home sustained during a storm.