Which disasters are covered by homeowners insurance? (2024)

FAQs

What natural disasters are not covered by insurance? ›

A: Your home insurance policy covers many natural disasters and weather events, including wind, hail, lightning strikes and wildfires. However, it does not cover damage caused by floods or earthquakes. You would need a separate policy for each of these perils. Many homeowners may not realize this until it's too late.

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods, earthquakes, typical wear and tear, and damage due to insufficient maintenance. You can usually add flood and earthquake coverage to your policy for an additional fee, but wear and tear and damage from a lack of maintenance are considered preventable.

Events typically not covered by standard homeowners insurance include: Floods. Earthquakes, sinkholes and other "earth movement" Other natural disasters (depending on geographic location)

Explanation: The disaster that is typically not covered by property insurance is flood. Property insurance typically covers damage caused by risks such as fire, hail, and wind.

Act of God events caused by floods or earthquakes are not covered under standard homeowners insurance policies. However, you can buy separate flood insurance to cover flood damages. You can also add earthquake coverage to your homeowners policy. Remember, most homeowners insurance policies cover common Acts of God.

Catastrophe insurance protects businesses and residences against natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes, and against human-made disasters such as a riot or terrorist attack.

Avoid admitting fault or underestimating damages as this might lead to lower compensation or even denial of your claim. Honesty is crucial when dealing with an insurance adjuster, so avoid providing false information which can lead to serious consequences like claim denial or legal repercussions.

Earthquakes, landslides and sinkholes generally aren't covered under home insurance. Exceptions include Florida and Tennessee, where insurers must offer optional sinkhole protection. Aside from that, you'll need separate coverage for these disasters, which your insurer can help you find.

Standard homeowners policies do not cover flooding, earthquakes or poor maintenance. Flood coverage is provided by the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program, although it is purchased from an insurance agent. Earthquake coverage is available either in the form of an endorsem*nt or as a separate policy.

What does home insurance actually cover? ›

Homeowners insurance covers your house and belongings in case of events such as fires, hail, tornadoes and burst pipes. If one of these scenarios causes damage, your policy can pay to repair it. Homeowners insurance can also reimburse you for theft or vandalism of your belongings.

Protecting that investment from fire and other perils is extremely important. Please note, homeowners insurance policies do not provide protection against losses from floods, earthquakes, mudslides, mudflows or landslides. You can learn more about what homeowners policies cover in this guide.

Homeowners insurance will usually cover damage to the dwelling and personal property. A resulting explosion or fire should also be covered. Earth movement, landslide, tremors, mudslide or earthquake caused by a volcano is not usually covered under homeowners insurance.

Earthquake and water damage

In most states, earthquakes, sinkholes, and other earth movements are not covered by your standard policy.

Key Takeaways

Damage or destruction due to vandalism, fire and certain natural disasters are all usually covered. So is your liability if someone is injured on your property. Certain catastrophes, like flooding or earthquakes, are generally not covered by basic homeowners policies and require specialized insurance.

An uninsurable risk could include a situation in which insurance is against the law, such as coverage for criminal penalties. An uninsurable risk can be an event that's too likely to occur, such as a hurricane or flood, in an area where those disasters are frequent.

Policies exclude damage from earthquakes, landslides, mudflows, mudslides, shock waves, sinkholes, tremors, volcanic eruptions or other ground movements. However, earth movement-related explosions or fire damage are covered.

Earthquake insurance does not cover water damage from outside your home, such as sewer or drain back-up, flood, or tsunami. For example, if you live near a lake that floods your home after an earthquake, earthquake insurance will not pay to repair the damage. A flood insurance policy will cover you.

However, your homeowners insurance already protects your property from wind and rainstorms, accumulating snow, and fire. Your homeowners insurance even extends its protection to extreme natural disasters like tornadoes, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, falling meteorites, and blizzards.