Life’s Unexpected Twists: Navigating Insurance for the Unforeseen
Imagine waking up to find your home underwater, or waking to news of a blazing wildfire barreling toward your doorstep. Devastating natural disasters can be a reality check, and they can turn our lives upside down. While these events cannot be predicted with absolute certainty, understanding what to expect from insurance coverage can provide a welcome sense of control and a vital safety net.
More than 30,000 properties were destroyed or severely damaged by severe weather events across the US in 2020. Meanwhile, over 4.8 million acres of land were ravaged by wildfires that year. From tornadoes, earthquakes and hurricane-force winds, an array of calamities pose significant risks to those who call this country home.
Insurance often covers damage resulting from such traumatic events; however, recognizing the minutiae within a policy can sometimes be confusing. First-step preparation and knowing when severe-weather-proof protection applies will soften the brunt of this unforeseen financial burden.
Breaking Down Insurance Protection
Breaking down your insurance options can seem confounding at first. At the most rudimentary level there’s:
-
Flood Insurance: One of the most frequently misunderstood insurance types, flood insurance covers damages stemming from water driven-ravages; this insurance may include storms or failing dams.
-
Homeowners or Renters Insurance: They’re customized, individually-tailored policies. Typically, they often do not cover damage from flood, although fires from lightning, explosions from out-of-control wildfires or extreme-weather-induced explosions are included.
-
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP): Laid out fairly and specifically, NFIP (a partnership between The US Federal Government and participating insurance organizations) offers residents both more affordable, government-regulated fiscal benefits, in addition to disaster support.
-
Deductibles: Often viewed as just the amount one must cover before insurance steps in. However, consider paying larger premiums to shave dollars off this upfront payment.
Storm Readiness 101
-
Always prioritize maintenance and evaluation: Be aware of how the age and location of your home will significantly impact what insurance coverage choices you are provided.
-
Continuously learn about what’s evolving in disaster scenarios: The most extreme and profound ‘acts of god’ continually shape today’s world we must stay keenly aware of as new storms ravage regions we live in as they materialize.
-
Disaster-emergency plans: Creating contingency scenarios for personal effects including a practical emergency kit and knowing both family and friend telephone contacts in unexpected separations is sensible life practice.
