Warm weather brings blooming flowers, long sunny days, and the perfect amount of free time to spend outside gardening or in the pool. However, the summer season isn’t perfect, as it also usually comes with large storms that consist of high winds, hail, flooding, and other damage to your property. With all of the things that can go wrong when a storm hits, you need to be extra prepared. Not only do you need to find ways to protect your home, but you also need to have the right insurance policies in place.
Which insurance policies are necessary to protect your assets as those large storms approach? Here’s what you need to know.
Homeowners Insurance
Your general property or homeowner’s insurance covers things like rain damage to your roof, wind damage to your siding or windows, and hail damage to your backyard shed or garage. It comes in handy when a storm rolls through and leaves a trail of destruction behind. With that said, your property insurance isn’t always fully comprehensive and doesn’t cover everything, such as flooding or severe damage from hurricanes. While it will take care of flooding from a broken pipe, if that nearby levy fails, you could be stuck having to pay for repairs out of pocket in the case of a large storm. This is why you need additional insurance policies if you’re in one of these areas.
Flood Insurance
If you officially live in an area prone to flooding, according to the official government maps, then you need to have a special flood insurance policy. These policies are designed to cover flooding that comes from external places, like overflowing streams, rivers, and dams. It will also help with flooding from storm-damaged windows and roofing components. Since the flood maps are updated on a regular basis (usually yearly or twice a year, depending on the area), you might find your home unexpectedly in a flood prone location, so make sure to check with your insurance agent.
Hurricane Insurance
Next, there’s hurricane insurance. If you live in a part of the country that gets hit by hurricanes and everything they bring with them, like very high winds, pouring rain, and deadly hail, you may qualify for one of these specialty policies. True to their names, these policies cover the heavy-duty storm damage wreaked by a hurricane.
Liability Policies
There are two types of liability policies that may come in handy should your homeowner’s, flood, or hurricane insurance fail to provide enough coverage. These policies are standard liability and are usually packaged with your homeowner’s insurance or umbrella liability insurance. Both are designed to cover things that you might be found liable for after the storm, such as a tree falling over onto your neighbor’s property, as well as anything outside of the purview of your regular policies.
Do You Need Stronger Insurance Policies?
Do you think you may need to change your insurance policies in order to better protect your home and property? Contact Spivey Insurance. Our knowledgeable agents can help you choose the right types of insurance policies and the appropriate amounts, so you can enjoy your summer worry-free from any storms that come your way.
