Homeowners insurance: A guide to weather damage coverage

by Judy Szablak 02/19/2023

Storm

Owning a home can be a great investment. Making sure this investment is secure is essential. Purchasing homeowners insurance can financially cover your home in the event perils occur. So, what are some of the perils you can expect to be covered under your homeowners insurance? 


Severe wind damage 

It is common for homeowners insurance to cover wind damage. This can include wind from large storms, tornadoes and additional natural disasters. However, some policies will limit or exclude certain types of wind damages, such as roof repair.


Hail damage 

If your region has frequent hail storms, homeowners insurance may have different policies regarding damages from these storms. For example, some may only offer limited or no coverage at all for cosmetic damages from hail. 


Lightning strike damage 

Lightning strikes are a standard peril covered under homeowners insurance policies. If your home is damaged from a lightning strike, dwelling coverage will help pay for repairing the structure of the home. 


Consider adding flood Insurance

Flood insurance is not typically covered in homeowners insurance. You may live in an area prone to flooding, such as by a river or the ocean. You may have to purchase additional flood insurance with your standard homeowners insurance. Personal property coverage would cover damages to your personal belongings. 


Sewer backups caused by rain may not be completely covered 

Standard homeowners insurance typically doesn’t cover sewer backup damages. Much like flood insurance, water backup insurance must be purchased separately. This coverage may be best for homes with a basement. 

Sewer damage can be extensive and costly. Sewer backup coverage is a great way to protect your home before an accident happens. 

We can’t control the weather, but we can protect our home in the case of weather damage. Investing in homeowners insurance can financially secure your hard-earned assets. 

About the Author
Author

Judy Szablak

With over 30 years in the industry, Realtor Judy Szablak has been on national television for her real estate expertise on the HGTV Network, featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio "Morning Living” , NPR radio as an expert real estate panelist, It’s Relevant News channel, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal for her in depth knowledge of Fairfield County Connecticut real estate.

She was also on the local NPR radio station (WSHU) as a Fairfield County CT real estate expert. Judy has provided multiple online respected news sources with her real estate expertise including The Daily Easton, The Daily Weston, The Daily Fairfield, The Daily Stamford and The Daily Greenwich, as well as in print in the New York Post. She is a weekly Real Estate Columnist for WestportNow.com, another real estate column "Real Estate With Judy” is syndicated through Hearst CT Media Online and seen in The Connecticut Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Time, The Hour, Fairfield Citizen, Westport News, Darien News, New Canaan News and the Wilton Villager.

 Judy is also the author of the book, The Art of Buying or Selling a Home, available at all major book retailers. Additionally, Judy has been nationally recognized in a number of national real estate trade magazines, some with distribution to over 1 million members. She was featured in Real Estate Today as early as 1994 for her commitment to, and implementation of technology in real estate. Judy appeared in the Certified Residential Specialist Magazine, as she provided advice on marketing strategies and ethics in the article titled "Marketing Makeovers.”

 Judy was also featured in REALTOR® Magazine, regarding image enhancement for Realtors. She was again featured in REALTOR® Magazine, in an article on "Achieving Flow” and operating at optimal peak performance. In another article in the same publication, Judy offered guidance to fellow real estate professionals as she explored the topic of implementing and maintaining personal websites. She has appeared in The Council of Residential Specialists Magazine, which featured her ideas regarding technology. Additionally, Judy authored an article on marketing and technology for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Online Magazine. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2017, she appeared as a featured agent in Top Agent Magazine. I have a few other websites- www.TheCtrealtyBlog.com www.CtHomesAndRealEstate.com www.BestWestportHomes.com www.ThePetitePowerhouse.com www,SzablakConsulting.com