Lightning & Wind and Rain…Oh My!
· by Matt Fox · posted September 11, 2008
· filed under Homeowner category.
Last night was another beautiful example of Arizona’s beautiful monsoon storms that pass through every year. I was putting Hayden, my 3 yr old, to bed last night as the clouds opened up and let loose.
As a child growing up here, I remember sitting in the garage with my parents watching the wind blow the trees, the lightning electrifying the sky and the rain soaking the yard. So, I figured this would be a great time to take my son out back and let him build some of these memories. Wrong. As I started to open the door he grabbed my leg and said, “No daddy. Don’t open the door. It’s scary.”
I forgot how scary it was when I was a child too. So, I comforted my son instead.
What does this have to do with insurance?
Flooding.
Water damage.
Fallen trees.
Lightning strikes.
Power outage.
Bugs.
Not all are covered under your base home policy and some are. Here’s a quick list:
Flooding – not covered. Need separate flood policy to cover this.
Water damage – depends on the cause. If you leave the window open at your home and the rain comes in because you’re forgetful, not covered. If the rain breaks the window and causes damage, you’re covered. You’re also covered, if the wind blows the rain under the shingles on your roof and leaks into the drywall in your home.
Fallen trees – generally not covered, unless it’s touching your home.
Lightning strikes – covered. If it hits your home or detached structures (pool equipment, sheds, etc.) you’re covered for the damage and any resulting fire, if any.
Power outage – depends on the policy. There’s usually some amount for spoilage but call your agent.
Bugs – no coverage. Unfortunately, the rains cause the scorpions and other fun critters we have here to migrate to the dryer climate inside your home. This just isn’t covered by your homeowner policy. Sorry.
Naturally, this is not an exhaustive list of the coverage in your particular policy but a good start. If you have a fallen tree, it shouldn’t hurt to call your agent and ask, “What would happen if a tree blew over? Would the insurance company pay to clean it up?” Every home insurance policy is different and has unique coverage options.
If you don’t have an agent and use an 800# insurance company for your insurance you may want to be careful how you ask your question. The person answering the phone may enter your question as a claim inquiry on your policy which will show up on your CLUE (loss history) report. This could affect your rates and future ability to find coverage.
Please leave your comments or questions below. Or, if you want an agent you can trust and ask questions about your unique situation fill out our home insurance quote form .
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