When most people hear of an approaching storm, such as a hurricane, blizzard, tornado, or hailstorm, their first impulse is to prepare. So you get your supplies ready, make sure you have a generator in case of power outages, and batten down the hatches. But there is one thing you should do: check your insurance policy.
Having homeowners insurance and auto insurance is critical, but in a natural disaster, standard policies may not cover all of the damage. If you live in an area inclined to extreme weather, it's essential to know what your homeowner's insurance companies cover – and what it doesn't. Likewise, what coverage does your automobile insurance cover in inclement weather? Let's explore.
Home Insurance
Some standard homeowners insurance policies cover a variety of severe weather-related losses to your home, but not every weather condition or natural disaster is covered. Therefore, it's essential to review your policy or speak with your agent beforehand to know what is and isn't included. Also, asking for Homeowners' insurance quotes in Corpus Christi can indicate what to anticipate.
What's Typically Covered By Homeowners Insurance?
- Hail damage: Homeowner's insurance policies cover damage to your home and belongings caused by hail. Whether it's to your roof, siding, windows, or frozen pipes, if the hail damage results from the storm, your homeowner's insurance will likely cover the repairs (minus your deductible).
- Wind damage: Homeowner's insurance typically covers wind damage from a hurricane, tornado, or severe thunderstorm. This includes damage to your home, garage, shed, and any other structures on your property.
- Water damage: Water damage caused by sudden and unexpected events, such as rainwater entering your home due to storm winds, is typically covered by homeowners insurance.
- Lightning, power outages & surges, fire: Catastrophic events, such as lightning strikes or other damage caused by fire, power surges, and outages to your electronics, are covered by homeowners insurance.
What's Not Covered by Homeowners Insurance?
Although homeowners insurance companies in El Paso cover the most severe weather-related damage to your property, there are some exceptions.
- Flooding: One of the most common – and costly – natural disasters is flooding. And while standard homeowners insurance policies cover water damage from events like burst pipes, they don't cover the flooding caused by rising water levels, lakes, or oceans. To be adequately protected against flooding, you'll need to purchase a separate flood insurance policy.
- Earthquakes: Another natural disaster that isn't covered by homeowners insurance is damage caused by earthquakes. If you live in a place prone to seismic activity, you'll need to purchase separate insurance from a private insurer.
- Landslides & mudslides: Damage caused by landslides and mudslides is also excluded from standard homeowners insurance policies.
- Damage caused by neglect: Homeowner's insurance policies typically don't cover damage resulting from negligence, such as gutter that backs up and causes water damage to your home because you didn't clean them out or unrepaired pipes that freeze or burst.
Flood Insurance
As it's not typically covered by homeowners insurance, if you live in an area prone to flooding, it's vital to purchase a separate flood insurance policy. Flood insurance covers damage to your home and belongings caused by rising water levels, such as a hurricane, tsunami, or severe thunderstorm. The U.S. has experienced floods in all 50 states, so it's important to be properly protected no matter where you live. Flood insurance quotes in Laredo can provide you with an indication of what to anticipate. Also, it gives you peace of mind, knowing that you're protected against one of the most common – and costly – natural disasters.
What If Someone Else's Property Causes Damage to Yours?
Typically, whatever you own is your responsibility. As a result, if someone else's property harms yours, such as a neighbor's tree crashing into your yard after a big storm, you will be held responsible, and your homeowner's insurance will most likely cover it. However, if your neighbor has neglected the tree's maintenance, they might be held responsible for the injuries or damage.
Homeowners Disaster Deductibles
A separate deductible may be necessary if the damage is related to a storm, as in the case of hail or a hurricane. The deductible for these homeowners may be a set amount or calculated based on a percentage of the home's value, which might be thousands of dollars. Given that, it's critical to choose the finest deductible alternatives for your specific requirements as a homeowner. When a storm reaches this level, the National Weather Service issues a formal hurricane warning, but the amount may differ by state and the insurance company.
Read here to know what disasters are covered by homeowners insurance.
How to Make a Homeowners Claim for Weather Damage
- Contact your insurance provider. You can contact the insurance carriers in Beaumont 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to submit an accident claim online.
- Document the incident. Take pictures or videos of the harm to your home, detached buildings, and goods as soon as possible and keep them in a separate folder. It's essential to regularly take photographs or videos of your home and personal property to document their current state.
- Keep all records related to the damage, including any repairs you make. This will help ensure you are reimbursed for all covered expenses.
- If your home is uninhabitable, keep any hotel receipts or other documentation of additional living expenses you incur.
- Be patient. The claims process can take some time, especially if there is a lot of damage in your area. Your insurance provider will send an agent to assess the damage and determine the cost of repairs. So you must stay in communication with your agent or company throughout the process.
Car Insurance
Comprehensive coverage
Your comprehensive coverage protects you against weather-related damage, including storms, tornados, forest fires, floods, and hailstorms.
The most common issues with floods and storms are binding limitations, which are more prevalent in the aftermath of floods and hurricanes. For example, in the days or weeks before a severe weather event, an insurance firm may limit new business or policy modifications. So, to safeguard your car, you should get comprehensive coverage well before a severe weather event is predicted in your area.
Collision coverage
Collision coverage covers at-fault collisions by an insured driver to other vehicles or objects, but it does not cover severe weather claims such as fallen trees or airborne items. So by asking for car insurance quotes in Brownsville, you will be able to get the best possible deal.
How to Make a Car Insurance Claim for Weather Damage
- Get in touch with your insurance provider as soon as possible. If there is weather-related damage to your vehicle, you'll need to contact your insurer. In most situations, you can phone or fill out an online form 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Document the incident. Take photos of the damage to your car as soon as possible and keep them in a separate folder. It's important to regularly take photographs or videos of your car to document its current state.
- Patience is key. If there was a sizable storm, other people might be affected, so wait for your vehicle's claim to come through. If you want to drive the car, make sure it isn't seriously damaged.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are a few things to know when it comes to insurance and extreme weather. By being prepared and knowing what is covered, you can help ensure that you and your family are taken care of in severe weather. Homeowner's insurance companies will differ on what is covered, so make sure to check with your provider ahead of time. And finally, always document the damage as soon as possible to help with the claims process.
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