You should have insurance on your
home already to cover any sort of trouble, but absolutely before going into
hurricane season, be sure that you have homeowner’s insurance with a reputable
company. Check to be sure that your policy is active and in good standing. Keep
your premiums paid and do a bit of research if you haven’t lately to be sure
that you’re with a company that has a reputation for handling claims in a
timely and honest manner. If your insurance company is in the middle of a
lawsuit regarding hurricane or similar claims, you might consider shopping
around to find a new company that is reliable and worry-free.
Flood Insurance
Flood or rising water is often
covered under a separate policy. In a hurricane, damage can come from any
number of directions. In many cases, it is the rising water from storm surge or
flooded rivers and tributaries that can cause the most damage to homes. When a
home floods, the cost of repairs can be tremendous and your homeowners
insurance might not cover the costs if you don’t have the proper flood
insurance. A flood insurance policy is not expensive in the grand insurance
scheme, but it often does have a waiting period. Buy flood insurance well ahead
of time and renew your policy annually to be sure you’re completely covered
from any risk of water rising in the streets or water surging fifteen feet
above the normal sea level.
Wind and Hail Insurance
If you live in certain areas, you
might be required to provide a separate insurance policy for wind and hail.
These policies can be a bit expensive, but for all intensive purpose they are
hurricane insurance. The two largest risks of a hurricane are rising water,
which is covered with flood insurance, and damage from wind. Shingles blowing
off, houses blowing down, debris being picked up and carried in the wind
through your windows are not necessarily covered under your homeowners
insurance unless it has wind and hail included.
If you’re required to hold a
separate policy and don’t have one at the time of the storm, any damage caused
by the wind, including a tree blown onto your roof, can be your burden to bear
depending on the clauses of your insurance policy. It is worth investigating to
see what sort of coverage your current policy has regarding wind and hail. If
you can’t find details in your files, speak to a representative to discuss your
concerns. If you’re not covered for wind under your current policy, you might
be able to buy a new policy for almost the same price by shopping the rates of
other companies that include the addendum.
