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Disaster Insurance for Your Home
Along with homeowners insurance, if you live in Seattle, you might want to consider disaster insurance. If you are unsure what you need, your local Seattle home insurance agency is a great place to turn for answers. When I took a look at my own policy, I had no idea of what to look for; the following are some extremely helpful points of interest for those without disaster insurance.
Disaster insurance is something that most homeowners need, regardless
of where they live. No matter where your home is located, some type of
natural disaster can destroy it. Do you have sufficient disaster
insurance? It really depends on the types of homeowners' insurance you
have, and to what extent those policies protect your home. Following is
a basic guide to help you determine if you need more disaster insurance.
Earthquake Insurance
If you live in an area where earthquakes
are common, disaster insurance will help protect your home in the event
it is destroyed by an earthquake. Unfortunately, most homeowners'
insurance policies don't automatically give you that type of coverage,
so you'll have to purchase it as an addition to your current coverage
or in another policy. In most cases, you'll want sufficient coverage to
replace your entire house if it is leveled.
In California and other areas where earthquakes
occur frequently, you can purchase "mini-policies" that provide
disaster insurance to cover your home, but will not cover everything
inside of it or other additions that you've purchased to improve the
value. Most people are encouraged to purchase full policies, and
premiums will depend on the location of your home, the quality of
construction, its age and other factors.
Flood Insurance
If
you live near an ocean, river or lake, flood is a disaster you don't
want to mess with. Disaster insurance policies are necessary to cover
floods because most homeowners' insurance policies just don't. In fact,
in some areas of the country, the law requires that you purchase this
insurance to guard against potential damage. Without it, you would up a
creek (pun intended) if your home were to suffer serious damage.
For
example, most homeowners' policies will cover flooding from a burst
pipe or overflowing bathtub, but you need disaster insurance for "acts
of God" that cause flooding, such as an overflowing river nearby. This
is extremely important if you think your home might be in danger.
Fortunately, most homeowners' insurance policies cover hurricanes and
tornadoes because they are considered "storms" under your policy.
However, it is still a good idea to check your policy to determine if
you need additional disaster insurance. For example, your policy might
not adequately cover any valuables in your home that might be lost in
severe weather.
Most people don't realize that insurance
policies are not created equal. Disaster insurance is available for a
reason - it gives you the opportunity to find additional protection for
your belongings that would otherwise be irreplaceable.
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