Once you have purchased your home and are comfortably enjoying residing in the place where you’ll build many future dreams, it’s time to start wondering about what your home insurance covers in case of calamity. The basic homeowner’s insurance policy that you’ll have in place through us here at the Alexander Insurance Agency covers a variety of things that could happen, including:

• Fires
• Hurricanes
• Lightning
• Tornado activity
• Frigid cold
• Various explosions
• Volcanoes

Most very common instances of peril are covered, but additional coverage can be needed to protect against tragic events such as earthquakes or floods. There is nothing as sound and calming as the peace of mind you’ll experience when you know that unforeseen events that can surprise you will be covered, and you won’t have to endure the headache of wondering whether you’ll prevail and be financially able to recover from the pain. Here are details on some things that occur and your risk level on each:

Tornadoes: A very common and still very dangerous occurrence in the spring and fall each year, these twisters can rear their ugly head in all 50 states. Your personal belongings and your home are covered by homeowners’ insurance in the event of a tornado, fully including wind, rain, and damage by any debris. You’re covered up to the limits of your policy, but flood damage may not be included unless you also have flood insurance.

Hurricanes: Your basic homeowners’ policy will kick in and cover the damage seen from wind throughout the U.S, but policyholders in areas that are extra prone will need to pay a deductible for hurricane and wind damage before the insurance policy does its job by kicking in. Even though hurricanes provide a massive amount of downpour, flood coverage and additional wind coverage should be considered, as these additional events are likely once a hurricane strikes.

There are now some moratoriums in place that prevent policy updates during the storm season, or after a storm bears an official name. It’s always best to make sure that you have adequate coverage before the storm season arrives. Your policy will provide specific details on whether it covers dwellings, personal property, or the benefit of additional living expenses.

Fire Protection: Fire damage is covered by home insurance, including accidental fires and fires that see their origin due to unfortunate natural disasters. Damage from intentional fires or those that come about as a result of gross negligence is naturally excluded from your policy’s coverage. Most typical home insurance policies will pay out for dwelling, personal property, liability, and additional living expenses, as you must read in-depth your policy’s details to determine exactly what’s covered and ensure the limit is large enough to provide what’s needed for your entire home and personal property. 26% of fires occur in residential homes, so all of us looking for the most ideal policy for you here at Alexander Insurance realize that fire prevention is needed as a top priority in any Missouri home.

Lightning: A standard homeowner’s policy will cover what is needed regarding lighting strikes, as well as resulting fire that may incur serious potential damage on your home and prized possessions. Each of these ways that lightning may damage your home may be treated a bit differently by your coverage provider. 

• Direct Strikes: these are the dangerous bolts that cause the most damage, yet also prove to be the easiest to resolve with your provider.
• Near Misses: this is when a lightning strike misses your home but still causes a grave amount of damage. In this instance, your provider just has to be certain that the damage is not from an electrical source like a transformer, and certainly from the strike of lightning that took place on said property.
• A Ground Surge: This is the powerful and unpredictable spike of electricity that is caused by lightning, and is the most frequent claim filed. These can be a bit tougher to have solid evidence of and collect your desired payout.

Bitter Temperatures: Your regular home insurance policy will cover personal property, dwelling, and liability claims after you endure any of these situations: 

• Frozen pipes
• Damage to your roof from ice
• An injury due to slipping and falling on your property

When pipes freeze, there is a significant amount of water damage that can arise on both your home and property, but the good news is that you can take action to prevent them! If your insurance provider determines that it was a lack of basic maintenance that caused the pipe to freeze, they may not fulfill the due diligence to cover damages. The eventual accumulation of snow and ice always wreaks havoc on your roof and gutters, but is often covered by your basic homeowner’s policy. Here in Missouri, we definitely live in a climate that dishes out its fair share of harsh winter weather, and we can provide you with many different ways to protect yourself.

Sudden Explosions: home explosions happen to be very rare, but your home, entire array of personal property and additional living expenses are all covered in case this happens to you. This may happen due to a gas leak, or the damage may come from a nearby explosion from another business or home. As long as the explosion was not set in place on purpose, you’ll have coverage under your homeowner’s policy.

The Importance of Constantly Being Prepared: Having multiple plans in place and being prepared for a disaster is your best bet against serious injury or loss in case anything bad happens. If you happen to live in a high-risk area, you need to take extra precautions for your structure and your loved ones’ well-being. It is always advisable to have water, nonperishable food items, fully-charged phones, and first aid kits on hand in case anything unexpected happens. 

We can advise you regarding the best coverage for your home, and you can talk with your friends and family extensively about your emergency plan. It’s best to know just how and when to evacuate, a list of safe locations, a source for emergency alerts, and making sure you take inventory of what is weatherproofed and ready to survive the storm. Items like nonperishable food and a flashlight are also necessary, as they can keep you safe when the inclement weather hits and assure that you have some means to safely weather the storm. We can assure that you have the best policy to provide for anything a homeowner would endure as far as inclement weather, and make sure that you are holding the coverage that keeps your belongings and best-loved safely at bay and accounted for!