Most in Northwest not prepared for natural disasters
Frank and Thelma Driscoll's Fall City home was left severely damaged by the flood. By Connie ThompsonEvery time a natural disaster hits, emergency experts remind us about disaster preparedness. Have an emergency kit and have a plan. We've all heard it a thousand times. MultimediaBut it turns out, most of us don't follow through. Despite the horror stories of damage from windstorms, earthquakes, wildfires, flooding and urban landslides, experts say property owners in the Northwest are not only under-prepared in terms of having a plan, but also putting too much faith in our insurance. So here's a quick insurance quiz: 1. Your neighbor's tree falls on your roof. Whose homeowner's policy covers the damage, yours or your neighbor's? If you said your neighbor's, take another look at your policy. That claim is all on you. 2. The slope behind your home gives way and destroys part of your house. Which insurance covers the damage? Your homeowner's policy? An umbrella policy? A landslide policy? Or all of the above? The correct answer is landslide policy. Without special coverage for landslides, you're out of luck. 3. A wildfire destroys your home, including records and equipment in your home-based business. Can you claim the business loss on your homeowner's policy? Contrary to what many home entrepreneurs assume, the answer is no. A 2007 study by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found the following: • 33 percent of homeowners with insurance incorrectly believe flood damage would be covered by their standard policy In reality, a standard homeowners policy covers none of the above. To help clear the confusion, the Northwest Insurance Council just launched a new Web site called Preparing the Northwest. The Web site explains what's covered by your insurance policies and what's not. There are also links to the major emergency resources, free home inventory software, even help with that survival kit you've been meaning to work on. The site is timed to coincide with the ninth anniversary of the Nisqually earthquake that left billions of dollars in local damage and caught thousands of us less prepared than we should be. In addition to the Northwest Insurance Council site, I found several other great sites I recommend bookmarking, so you have them at your fingertips. Most Popular |
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February 9, 2012
- Coos Bay / North Bend, Oregon
