Does Homeowners' Insurance Cover Water Damage caused by Flooding?

4/25/2019 (Permalink)

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a storm as a disturbance of the atmosphere marked by wind and usually by rain, snow, hail, sleet, or thunder and lightning. While Southern California rarely experiences severe storm activity, it does occur from time to time. Being prepared for a swift change in temperatures and the seasonal Santa Ana Winds is always going to be advantages. Are you and your family California STORM READY? CA.GOV 

helps us prepare individually by first knowing whether or not our property is at risk of flooding. When we purchased our home just over a decade ago, our loan docs included the disclosure of our area being considered a flood zone area. Insurance companies as well have FEMA Risk mapping indicating cities and neighborhoods at high risk for any sort of natural disaster be it earthquakes, wind storms, wildfire and of course flooding. Are you properly insured with flood insurance or earthquake insurance? Since Homeowners’ insurance does not cover flood damage, it is finding out and act now because water damage repairs can be costly. to Water damages due to flooding water can potentially carry contaminants in the soil such as animal droppings, pesticides, etc., IICRC standards states removal of all materials affected by the exterior waters and recommends they be removed and replaced. If you find yourself dealing with unexpected soaking wet walls or googling: how to get rid of mold after a storm, you will be eternally grateful when your insurance helps to take away the sting of the loss.

As the rest of the nation continues to storm watch severe weather, while we are enjoying sunny days we can do our part now, by preparing a checklist and ensuring that we are ready just in case…