Natural Disasters You Want To Be Insured Against

By Author: Marcus Stalder
Total Articles: 491
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Having your house insured is good for having some peace of mind especially if there's a rainstorm ravaging outside. People insure their houses in order to keep their households financially protected from any kinds of natural perils that may damage the property. And while most policyholders think that their policies will eventually cover just any type of natural disaster the real situation can be quite the opposite. Here are five types of natural perils that can hit hart both your house and your wallet regardless whether you have your house insured or not.

1. Hurricanes

Hurricane wind damage is quite common in states along the Gulf of Mexico coast and up to the mid states. Every year hurricanes cause millions and even billions of dollars in property damage. And while in some states hurricane damage is included to standard policy coverage, in most states that are more used to this natural disaster you will need to purchase a separate policy in order to have you house covered against any loss caused by hurricanes.

2. Floods

Flood damage can result from either a rainstorm or the dynamics of bodies of ...
... water nearby. Regardless of the case, the damage your house gets from flood will only be covered if you purchase an additional weaver to your policy or a separate insurance policy to cover flood damage. If you live in a high flood risk area and use a mortgage to finance the purchase of your house the lending institution will require you to buy flood insurance coverage in order to get the loan in the first place.

3. Frozen pipes

Frozen pipes may result from blizzards or a prolonged period of freezing temperatures. Frozen pipes may seriously damage your house since they may cut off water distribution and even heat. Under most homeowners insurance policies such damage will be covered. However, some insurers may deny your claims if they manage to prove that the pipes were frozen because you didn't keep them within the working temperature range. And that can happen when there are extreme weather conditions outside. So be on the lookout for this unpleasant exception.

4. Landslides and mudslides

Having a standard home insurance policy won't cover damage resulted from landslides or mudslides. In some cases, the damage caused by mudflows can be included to the flood insurance coverage, but that's if you have one in the first place. If you happen to live an area with a high risk of landslides (hills or mountains) it would be best to purchase such insurance as an addition to your standard policy. However, if the landslide or mudslide is caused by an earthquake it's better to have an earthquake insurance coverage since it will cover such damage.

5. Earthquakes

Earthquakes are a separate type of natural disaster that is not included into standard policies. If you want to be protected from the damage cause by an earthquake you'll have to buy a separate policy. However, earthquakes often cause additional damage with fire or gas bursts that result from earth cracks and displacement. This damage will be covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy. So it would be better to have both if you live in an area with a risk of earthquakes.