After two weeks of uncharacteristically strong storms in Delaware County and Chester County, PA, homeowners insurance companies are inundated with claims. Anyone driving through Swarthmore or Ridley has seen the massive trees laying on houses, or the homes with the blue tarps on the roof. I also saw a photo of a car stuck in 5 feet of water in Prospect Park.

Because of this crazy weather, I feel it’s a good time to discuss what you can expect from your homeowners insurance in Delaware County.

The stream next to my house flooded and my basement was destroyed by water – Homeowners insurance does NOT cover you for flood losses. Surface water is specifically excluded from homeowners insurance policies. You would need to have a separate flood insurance policy to provide this coverage. And in many cases, your basement may not even be covered by your flood policy. I would recommend reviewing this with an insurance agent.

My neighbor’s tree fell on my house – This is considered an Act of God and your homeowners insurance policy would be responsible even though it’s your neighbor’s tree. The reverse is also true. If you have a tree fall on a neighbor’s home, you are only responsible for the portion on your property.

My tree fell in my yard but didn’t hit anything – Unfortunately for you, a homeowners insurance policy will only provide coverage if the tree hit a covered structure such as a house, shed, or fence. You will be responsible for removal if it doesn’t hit anything.

Part of my roof was damaged by the wind and water got in my home – The insurance company will cover this. You aren’t going to get a brand new roof out of it, but the insurance company will pay to repair the damaged portion of the roof. Any interior damage caused by the rain would also be covered.

Will my insurance premium go up if I put in a homeowners claim? – More than likely, it will. There are a lot of factors that go into this so it would have to be determined on a case-by-case basis. If the storm is considered a “Catastrophe,” you won’t see a surcharge, but it could still affect your ability to shop your insurance with different companies in the future. Insurance is there to pay claims but, if it’s a small claim, handle it out of pocket. I see too many situations where people put in a claim for a few hundred dollars and end up paying back more than the value of the claim in increased premiums.

Let Risk Averse Insurance in Media, PA review your insurance today. It could save you hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of dollars per year while providing better coverage.

Risk Averse Insurance is an insurance agency in Delaware County, PA that specializes in providing high-quality insurance products at an affordable price.