Earthquakes, Floods And Electricity Outages: 3 Things To Be Aware Of As A California Homeowner

Home ownership for many people means that they have finally, after years of effort, found success. Property ownership is the biggest thing you can accomplish in your adult years, at least as prescribed by the American dream. Owning your own home means you have the financial resources and good credit to accomplish your goals.

Though owning your own home is a big accomplishment, it’s a double-edged sword. On one side you own your own property, on the other, you own your own property. This means you’re responsible for every corner of it. When you rent an apartment, your landlord is responsible for repairing or replacing the broken dishwasher. As a homeowner, you’re the one responsible.

If a natural disaster should occur in your area and it wreaks havoc on your home, you’re responsible for making the repairs. This is why having a homeowners insurance policy is so important: if a natural disaster should wipe out your windows or tear off parts of your roof, your homeowners insurance will cover it.

Think about it: if you live in California and your house sits on a fault-line zone, the next earthquake could bring it all down. Shouldn’t you get a homeowners insurance plan that’ll help cover the costs of a rebuild? That’s why your California homeowners insurance should cover you against your state’s common natural disasters. To find a reputable insurance policy, check out CoverHound.

Earthquake Damage

According to USA Today, two-thirds of American homeowners are underinsured. California experiences between two and three earthquakes a year that cause severe property damage. Despite this earthquake damage costing hundreds of millions of dollars, only 10 percent of California homeowners purchase earthquake coverage as part of their homeowners insurance.

Homeowners insurance generally does not cover earthquake damage. Californians must purchase earthquake coverage in conjunction with the homeowners insurance policy or through the California Earthquake Authority (CEA). An earthquake insurance policy offers coverage when an earthquake causes shaking and cracking to a structures foundation and frame damaging the structure and anything inside. According to the Insurance Information Institute, (III) if an earthquake should cause fire or flood damage your traditional homeowners insurance package will cover the costs of the damage.

Flash Floods

A fierce winter storm can cause flash floods and mudslides both of which can injure you and cause serious damage to your home. Flood damage is not covered under the traditional homeowners insurance package, but it is available as a separate policy. If a flash flood should hit your street and drain into your basement, a flood insurance policy will cover the damage, the same goes for a mudslide.

Mudslides

Mudslides are covered under your flood insurance policy. To get protection from flash flooding and mudslides, you must have flood insurance in conjunction with your homeowners insurance policy. Something to keep in mind when you’re getting flood insurance is that mudslides and landslides are not considered to be the same thing in the insurance world. According to III, a landslide is considered an earth movement. This means that as a landslide is generally caused by an earthquake (remember, earthquake damage is not covered by the traditional homeowners insurance package), it is not covered by a homeowners insurance package, but by an earthquake policy.

Even if your homeowners insurance is classified as an “all-risk” policy, you’ll still need to learn about every detail of the plan to understand what is and is not covered. If you live in California, you will need to purchase earthquake and flood insurance to get full coverage. But guess what? Bundling your coverage will get you a discount!

Visit CoverHound today to get your free homeowners insurance quote!