Is homeowners insurance enough when there are floods in your area? Are you certain that you will avoid flooding, and do you have coverage for those worst-case scenarios?
Take a look at these insights to learn how homeowners insurance and flood coverage differ. Remember, there’s more to protecting your home than buying one policy when you close on your mortgage and simply renewing it every year.
What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?
Homeowners insurance covers a great many things, including:
- Property damage
- Additional dwellings or structures
- General liability
- Theft or vandalism
- Fire damage or loss
Every homeowners policy is slightly different, but remember that homeowners policies do not cover flooding. Many times, these policies may not cover:
- Mold (but only as the result of a covered water loss)
- Roof damage or leaks caused by windstorms (provided the roof is properly maintained)
- Roof replacement (based on the roof damage incurred above)
- Internal water damage (slow leaks are not covered, but items like burst pipes are covered as a basic peril)
- Dog bites (provided there are no exclusions)
- Tree damage (as a result of a windstorm or “Vis Major”)
- HVAC damage (only as part of another covered loss)
- Foundation damage
- Fencing (only as part of another covered loss)
Review the terms of your policy to learn what’s covered. If you’re not sure, you may reach out to our team for a full policy review. Remember, though, that many homeowner’s policies simply will not cover many of the above items.
What Does Flood Insurance Cover?
Flood insurance covers rising floodwaters from storms in the region. This is far different from a leak inside your home or even a burst hot water heater that leaks everywhere.
As a result, flood insurance is a separate policy that covers damage from floodwaters, including property losses, water restoration, and mold remediation. Even if the floodwaters only reach your basement or crawl space, you need this type of coverage because a foundation repair could be quite expensive.
What is a Flood Zone?
FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers have created flood zone maps of the whole of the continental United States. These maps use alphabetical designations to note how likely it is a flood will occur in any zone. For example, zones that start with A have a high risk of flooding and often sit in coastal areas.
Certain zones require flood insurance because lenders will not close your mortgage without it. In other cases, flood insurance may not be required (but recommended) because the zone could flood in the imminent future.
At times, many other zones have very low flood risk, but the threat of climate change could cause flooding even in these zones. This is why flood insurance is more important than ever. For a relatively low outlay, you can purchase flood coverage that protects your home in a worst-case scenario.
Contact The Budde Agency for More Information on Flood and Homeowners Coverage
Reach out to our local team today at The Budde Agency if you need flood insurance. Remember, your homeowners policy will not protect you against rising floodwaters. Plus, you don’t want to ignore flood insurance just because you’re in a low risk area. Protect your homestead today with our help.
