Winter storms cause havoc everywhere but they take widely different forms in different parts of the country. Florida and other coastal states struggle with hurricanes and severe wind damage. In California and here in Arizona, January is customarily our winter rainy month and flash floods are not uncommon. There are designated flood plains dotted throughout the Phoenix Valley area and you should be mindful of where they are located and their prescribed level of danger. Home buyers in these areas must have flood insurance if they have a mortgage. If you are mortgage-free or if you’re renting a home in one of these regions just be aware that your standard insurance policy will not cover floods. Folks in cold weather states cope with another whole catalog of inconveniences caused by winter storms.
This short video provides a checklist of what is and isn’t covered by your insurance.
Video: Your Insurance and Winter Storm Damage
For your convenience you’ll find a transcript directly below this video.
Video Transcript: Your Insurance and Winter Storm Damage
Welcome to Today’s Home Update, I’m Victoria.
Winter weather often brings damage to your home. According to the Insurance Information Institute, standard homeowners insurance covers:
- Wind related damage to a house, its roof, its contents and other insured structures on the property.t
- Tree limbs that fall on the house or other insured structures. This includes both the damage the tree inflicts on the house and the cost of removing the tree.
- Damage from ice and other objects that fall on the home.
- Damage to the house and its contents caused by weight of snow or ice that causes a collapse.
- Freezing conditions such as burst pipes or ice dams. However there is generally a requirement that the homeowner has taken reasonable steps to prevent these losses by properly maintaining pipes and drains.
- Additional living expenses in the event that a home is severely damaged by an insured disaster. This would pay for reasonable expenses incurred by living elsewhere while the home is being fixed.
- Damage caused by flooding is not covered by standard homeowners or renters policies. Melting snow that seeps into a home from the ground up would be covered by flood insurance. Flood insurance is available to both home owners and renters.
Thanks for watching Today’s Home Update, see you next time.
For more information, Call or Text: 602-999-0952
eMail: golfarizona@cox.net
Bill Salvatore / Arizona Elite Properties
Residential Sales, Marketing, and Property Management
