September is the most active month for Hurricanes, will this affect your homeowners insurance? Hurricanes do not hit western PA, but the tropical storm remnants do. These storms can bring large rainfalls and heavy winds. The damage from the rain and wind can cause a claim to your homeowners insurance. Furthermore the water from the storms can cause flooding and other problems that may or may not be covered by your home insurance.
I thought storm damage was covered by my homeowners insurance?
For the most part, this is true. If wind blows shingles or siding off your house there is most likely coverage. If that wind allows rain to come into your home, that is most likely covered. Most of the time the actual storm damage is covered. However, other hazards caused by the storm may or may not be covered. You may need an endorsement to cover those types of claims. There are a couple of coverage areas that could leave a gap when it comes to things like flooding, surface water, and where water enters your home.
If water enters my basement, is that covered?
Maybe, if surface water or flooding is the cause then there is most likely not coverage. For instance, excess water runs off a hill and comes in through a wall or basement wind. That would not be covered under your homeowners insurance. In fact, you would typically need a flood policy for an event like that. If water enters your basement though you may have some coverage. Water that enters through a back up of your sewer or drain can be covered. This coverage is typically not part of your standard home insurance policy but needs to be added by endorsement. This coverage typically starts at 5k and goes up from there.
What about if my pipes are damaged?
Similarly this is another area where your base policy would not have coverage. However, again this is a coverage that you can likely get via endorsement. Underground service line coverage can be added to most homeowners policies at this point. Keep in mind that these claims can be pricey so be sure to review the limits that are on your policy. Also be sure to check the wording of the endorsement to see what is covered and what is not.
I’m still confused, what should I do?
Give us a call, you can reach us at 412-344-2800. You can also reach us via our client center or on social media at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. We look forward to hearing from you. We hope that we can help you navigate an active Hurricane season so that it doesn’t leave a coverage gap for your homeowners insurance.
