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You’ve Had Storm Damage. What Does Your Insurance Cover?
Cathedral City saw some of the heaviest flooding and mud flows from Tropical Storm Hilary.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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Topline:
As the worst-hit regions of Southern California dig out from the flooding and mudflows that accompanied Tropical Storm Hilary, so begins the task of figuring out how much damage to homes and businesses is covered by insurance. Some of the worst damage likely won’t be.
The good news: Standard homeowner, renter and commercial insurance policies typically cover wind and storm damage, such as damage from a roof that’s blown off or starts to leak, or from a tree that has fallen onto a property. That’s the good news, according to the California Department of Insurance.
The bad news: Standard policies typically do not cover damage from floods, mud or debris flow — the kind of storm damage seen in the worst-hit areas, like in the Coachella Valley or the San Bernardino Mountains. The exception is if these events are “directly or indirectly caused by a recent wildfire or another peril covered by the applicable insurance policy,” according to the state insurance department.
The department lists these standard policy exclusions: “... flood, earth movement, earthquake, landslide or mudflow, settling, cracking, shrinking, subsidence or sinkhole, erosion, sinking, rising, shifting, expanding or contracting of earth.”
There is such a thing as flood insurance — separate coverage that’s available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program. This does cover flood and mudflow damage, but not many people have it: Fewer than 2% of properties in California are covered under the FEMA program.
What to do: Call your insurance company or broker to clarify what damage is or is not covered under your policy. California’s insurance department has also posted a fact sheet with coverage basics and tips for other assistance. (For example, if the president declares a state of emergency, help may be available through FEMA or Small Business Administration.) Consumers with coverage questions are also encouraged to call the department at (800) 927-4357.
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Go deeper:
- The California Department of Insurance has published this consumer alert; more information is on its website.
- Do you live in a flood zone? Check out this map.
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