Three million people lost power to their homes due to the snowstorm that hit the Northeast. Power outages tend to create situations that result in insurance claims. People need to know which policy to send the claim to, and what types of damages could be covered.
This week, many families have been focused on how they are going to celebrate Halloween. Extra purchases at the grocery store probably included things like last minute additions to Halloween costumes, and bags of candy to hand out to all those trick-or-treaters. I doubt anyone was planning on what to do in case Halloween gets “snowed out”.
A storm that has been described as a “freak October nor’easter” has knocked out the power to over 3 million homes and businesses located all across the Northeastern part of the United States. Some places received more than two feet of snow. The snow that fell was especially wet and heavy, which caused even more damage.
The damages caused by snowstorms could be covered under a person’s homeowner’s insurance policy. A typical homeowner’s insurance policy covers the cost of rebuilding or repairing the damaged parts of your home.
Homeowners insurance also covers the cost or fixing or rebuilding the damage done to “other structures”. This includes things like a detached garage, shed, fence, or driveway. It might cover damages done to your porch. Speak with your insurance agent to get more details about exactly what your homeowners policy covers, and the total dollar amount of damages it will pay out for a claim.
Check to see if your policy covers damages caused to “refrigerated property” or “refrigerated products”. If your power goes out, then your refrigerator and freezer will cease to function as they should. Many families fill their freezers will foods that they got on sale, so that they can use the foods later on. If the power went out, and all that food spoiled, you might be able to send a claim for it to your homeowners insurance policy.
Sometimes, the damage occurs when the power comes back on. Power surges can destroy electronics. You may be able to get by for a while without the use of your TV. Many people use their home computer in order to do their job. This group will need to replace a nonfunctional computer as soon as possible.
Some homeowners policies will cover “sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current”. This is something you will need to ask your insurance company about specifically, because some companies will not cover it. They might say that it is not covered because you were expected to use a surge protector to prevent potential damage. It is worth asking about, anyway.
Image by Ken Mayer on Flickr