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One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming their insurance will cover damage that occurs to their home or belongings during storms, when it doesn’t – here’s what you need to know to make sure you have the coverage you need.
Spring always sees strong weather activity. This week has brought severe weather and torrential rain resulting in catastrophic flooding and evacuations in multiple states. These events are a strong reminder that Mother Nature can wipe out your home and all your belongings in an instant.
But what adds insult to injury is finding out that the insurance you had as protection – doesn’t cover you in cases of flooding or slow leaks.
Let’s look into what you need to know to have the right storm coverage for you.
You don’t need a business degree or to get an MBA online to make smart business decisions, and one of the smartest decisions you can make is ensuring that you have the right coverage to protect your home and belongings during storms.
Two of the most common items many home insurance policies do not cover are damage from rising water or from a slow leak.
While it may increase your insurance costs to purchase a separate policy for flood insurance, in the long run, that additional policy is significantly less expensive than the cost of repairs and/or losses when you have no coverage or inadequate coverage for damaged cost from storms.
Before a storm unleashes its fury and wipes out your home, belongings, and ruins you financially – you need to do a lot of planning when it comes to your insurance and insurance company.
Upon close inspection, it’s more than likely that you’ll find out that your insurance doesn’t cover you in case of flooding from rising water. If you are in an area that poses a significant risk of flooding, you may need to obtain a separate flood insurance policy through a state or national program.
The best place to start is at the website set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), floodsmart.gov. At the site, you can enter your address and determine whether you live in a potential floodplain.
If so, the website will help you obtain an insurance quote through the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood insurance is also available through state programs and private insurance companies. FEMA also provides a guide on how to buy flood insurance.
