Coverage for Natural Disasters

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43% of U.S. homes face high risks of being destroyed by natural disasters each year, according to MarketWatch. Luckily, most have homeowners insurance, but what many don't realize is that not all natural disasters are covered by homeowners insurance. 

Covered
Homeowners insurance policies usually cover damage done to property by weather, like lightning, wind, hail, snow, etc. It depends on your coverage, but most policies will help cover your residence and your belongings lost in the event of that type of disaster.

While most homeowners policies cover certain weather-related natural disasters, there are some natural disasters, most commonly floods, earthquakes and sinkholes that require separate endorsements or policies for coverage.

Not Covered
Damages caused by flood waters are typically not covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy. Check your policy and talk to your agent to see if you can add additional coverage to your current home insurance policy to cover more than the basics. If you cannot make additions to your coverage, consider purchasing something separately, like a flood insurance policy, to protect your home.

Earthquakes, sinkholes and settlement are all examples of different types of earth movement that can cause damage to property. Unfortunately, these may not be covered by most standard homeowners policies either. You can, however, purchase separate insurance for these things, depending on availability in your state. If you need to know, ask your agent.

Don't find out that your homeowners policy doesn't cover floods, earthquakes and sinkholes after you become a victim of one of those natural disasters. Talk to a Shelter agent today if you are interested in knowing about availability or in getting coverage for earthquakes and other natural disasters.