What Your Homeowners Insurance May Not Cover

You might think that because your property is protected by homeowners insurance, that you are perfectly safe. If a volcano were to sprout in your yard or an earthquake were to swallow your house whole, your insurance company would have to pay up for the damages and loss of property. Great! But if your house is flooded, your insurance company will shrug their shoulders and tell you that you are not covered.

How can I not be covered for flood damage?
Floods are the most common natural disaster, which is probably one reason that typical homeowners insurance policies do not cover it. If you are in a flood area (and who isn’t in a flood area?) then you will want to look into an addendum to your policy or a policy specifically meant for flood insurance alone. This will keep your house safe no matter what invasions of dirty water and mud you are forced to endure.

Are floods really that bad?
If you are thinking that floods are just water, then you are wrong. In addition to the dead animals and other stinking matter that will be brought into your house in the case of a flood and also in addition to the water damage that will rot your walls, floors and furniture, you will also have to deal with the mud. Your carpets will be beyond ruined, and you will literally have to dig the mud and debris out of yours house from where it was carried by the waters. Is your foundation still stable? Are you going to have to rebuild your entire house because of the rot? Did you have a file cabinet or important documents on the ground floor? They will be gone as well. Your electronics are likely useless as well. Flood damage can and will destroy everything in its path just as surely as a fire.

In addition to actual water flooding, mud slides are typically considered floods, and your entire house can be washed away off of its foundation thanks to these terrible disasters. And if you are thinking that you are safe because you are not in a flood zone, then you may need to think again. Can you honestly say that you are nowhere near a river, lake, reservoir, natural body of water, or even a lowland that could flood in a heavy rain? If your house is on a hill, a mudslide could take the whole thing out in just one storm. Very few places can really be considered safe from flooding.

So how do I protect my home?
The best protection is flood insurance, of course. If you can add it on with your current insurance company, then that is fine. If you are in an area that is already prone to flooding, however, insurance companies will not insure you. Lucky for you, the government thinks that everyone should be able to get flood insurance, and provides flood insurance for high risk areas.

Visit www.FloodSmart.gov for more information.