We’ve all heard the saying, “your home is your castle,” but many of us don’t take that to heart. What separates a castle from a normal, run-of-the-mill house? Simply put, good defenses. Now we at Restoration Now! Omaha, a water damage restoration company in Omaha, aren’t suggesting you go out and start digging a moat or putting up turrets, but we do strongly recommend you take a close look at your number one home defense: homeowner’s insurance.
In this article, our team of water damage restoration experts at Restoration Now! Omaha will guide you through some of the things to be aware of when shopping for insurance. What you learn here may surprise you, so read on to stay informed and build up your home’s defenses!
What Can Homeowner’s Insurance Do for a Flooded Basement?
This is a good question, and one that we hear all the time from our customers. While the answer isn’t simple, it boils down to one main point—that there is a difference between “flood damage” and “water damage.” Flood damage, which is NOT covered under homeowner’s insurance policies, is caused by water that has been on the ground before it enters your home. While this may be an odd definition, here are some of the situations it covers:
- A river near your home overflows due to heavy rain or snowmelt and water comes into your home.
- A heavy rain leads to a flooded basement because the soil around your home can’t absorb the water fast enough.
- Flash flooding causes a mudslide on the hill right behind your house and sends the oozy mess into your home.
To protect against these kinds of situations, you can’t rely on homeowner’s insurance—instead, you will need to seek out flood insurance, which is the only kind of insurance that covers these and other similar situations.
How is Water Damage Different from Flood Damage?
While the term “flood damage” deals with all kinds of damage dealing with water that has spent time on the ground before it enters your home, “water damage” deals with all other kinds of water-related damage. For instance, if a pipe breaks in your home and leads to a flooded basement, that’s considered water damage, not flood damage. Similarly, if a hailstorm breaks one of your windows and water enters your home that way, that would be covered under your homeowner’s insurance as water damage.
Contact Restoration Now! Omaha Today at (402) 502-7277!
Whether you find yourself with a flooded basement caused by an actual flood or a broken pipe, it’s important to know the different terms insurance companies use to define the type of water damage your house has. That way, you won’t be caught off guard without the proper coverage when disaster strikes.
Most importantly, no matter what kind of water damage your house has sustained, we at Restoration Now! Omaha want you to know that our professional team of water damage restoration experts is just a phone call away at (402) 502-7277, or you can fill out our online contact form. We offer 24/7 emergency services, so no matter when you need us, we’ll be there!