A lot of people don't truly understand natural disasters and their house insurance. The Insurance Information Institute (III) estimates that 28% of Americans mistakenly believe basic home insurance policies cover storm flood damage and 29% believe earthquake damage is protected by insurance.

When disaster hits and insurance doesn't cover the bills, homeowners may end up feeling stuck.

To make matters worse, when it comes to natural disasters, it's hard to determine what is covered based on your state. What are the most prevalent major disasters in Alaska, and are they covered by insurance?

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What is homeowners insurance—and what does it cover?

In addition to providing protection for your home and its contents, a homeowner's insurance policy also covers loss of use, liability, and medical bills for guests injured on your property. Both the scope of coverage and the kind of risks that are included will differ between policies.

Levels of homeowners insurance coverage

HO-1: The most basic homeowners insurance policy (HO-1) simply covers your main home and does not cover personal belongings, loss of use, or liabilities. Named perils such as wind and hail damage, fire, and more are usually covered by HO-1 insurance.

HO-2: This is a different kind of named perils coverage that protects your home and personal items from damage caused by the risks stated in your policy.

HO-3: An HO-3 policy is the most prevalent type of home insurance policy. This includes coverage for the main structure, any additional structures (for example, a greenhouse or shed), personal property, loss of use, liability, and medical payments.

HO-3 insurance is an open perils policy when it comes to the main building, which means it covers anything but the hazards listed as not protected. Personal property coverage is only restricted to certain perils, though.

HO-5: If you're searching for the gold standard in home insurance, an HO-5 policy is the way to go. Because it's an open perils policy, it covers both your home and your belongings—but expect to pay more for this additional protection.

We've put together the following table to make things easier for you:

Policy type	What’s covered	Open perils?
HO-1	Main structure only	Named perils only
HO-2	Main structure, personal property, loss of use, liability, medical payments	Named perils only
HO-3	Main structure, personal property, loss of use, liability, medical payments	Main structure is open perils, personal property is named perils only
HO-5	Main structure, personal property, loss of use, liability, medical payments	Yes

MORE:

Home insurance terms you need to know

What perils are covered by homeowners insurance?

Regardless of whether you have HO-1, HO-2, or HO-3 insurance, you'll need to know what hazards are covered. In general, you can expect coverage for these 16 named perils:

Fire and lightning

Smoke

Volcanic eruption

Explosion

Riot or civil commotion

Hail and windstorms

Damage caused by vehicles

Damage caused by aircraft

Vandalism

Theft or malicious mischief

Falling objects (usually not covered by HO-1)

Weight of snow, ice, or sleet (usually not covered by HO-1)

Water overflow or discharge from plumbing (usually not covered by HO-1)

Water heater cracking (usually not covered by HO-1)

Damage from electrical current (usually not covered by HO-1)

Frozen pipes (usually not covered by HO-1)

Be aware of everything not on that list. Many homeowners are oblivious to the fact their insurance does not cover floods or earthquakes, which is concerning given that these are two of the most common natural disasters in the US.

Since most home insurance plans don't cover every natural disaster, knowing what yours does is crucial.

Key Takeaway The type of policy you have and the particular risks stated on it will influence your homeowners insurance coverage.

Does home insurance cover natural disasters in Iowa?

Iowa is in the top half of states prone to natural disasters and has seen 72 major disasters since the year 1953.

Iowa experiences frequent flooding, including one in 2008 that caused the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids to reach its highest level on record. Floodwaters engulfed more than four square miles of land, displacing 10,000 people.

According to the National Weather Service, Iowa averages 46 tornadoes a year, with 2017 being one of the busiest years, with 55 twisters.

Other storms wreak havoc on the Hawkeye State, bringing tremendous straight-line winds, hail, ice, and snow. In 1991, a Halloween blizzard damaged up to $5 million worth of cornfields.

To determine what is and isn't covered by your insurance, let's look at some of Iowa's most prevalent natural disasters.

Flooding

Flooding is extremely prevalent in Iowa, especially during the spring. Flooding between Iowa and its neighboring state, Nebraska, produced more than $4 billion in economic damages and around $1 billion in insurance claims in 2019.

Most recently, rising Mississippi River levels caused a temporary flood barrier to break, leading floodwaters to reach a record high in the city of Davenport.

Does homeowners insurance cover flooding?: Flood damage is not covered by standard home insurance. FEMA’s

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

offers separate flood insurance coverage.

MORE:

Does home insurance cover flooded basements?

Tornadoes

Iowa is positioned in the shadow of Tornado Alley, which is home to the vast majority of tornadoes in the United States.

During the course of the year in 2019, 54 tornadoes were documented in Iowa, resulting in two injuries, one death, and millions of dollars in damage.

Does homeowners insurance cover tornadoes?: Tornadoes aren’t specifically covered, although most home insurance policies cover damage due to wind and hail (which are likely damages that come about due to tornadoes).

Blizzards

Winters in Iowa are cold, and blizzards are prevalent during this time of year. Blizzards can cause structural damage to homes due to the weight of the ice and snow, and the thawing of snow can even result in flash flooding.

One of the most severe blizzards in Iowa history happened in 2009, and left all 99 counties in the state under a blizzard warning!

Does homeowners insurance cover blizzards?: Like tornadoes, blizzards aren’t directly named under home insurance, but damages caused by wind, hail, and the weight of snow almost always are.

MORE: How to drive safely during an earthquake

Key Takeaway Your homeowners insurance should cover claims related to wildfires, but you may need supplemental coverage for flooding, earthquakes, and mudslides.

How to file a home insurance claim

Iowans, no matter where they live, should have appropriate insurance to protect them from any natural calamity the state may face. Here are the steps you'll need to take to file a claim if a natural disaster damages your home or personal belongings.:

Make note of your losses. Take pictures of your stuff and make a note of anything that has been damaged.

Notify your insurance provider that you intend to file a claim. They can appoint an adjuster to examine your evidence.

Figure out how much you paid for each item (having receipts handy may be useful, particularly for big purchases!)

Complete the paperwork for the claim provided by your insurance company.

Discuss the damage with your insurance adjuster. You don't want to lose money because you forgot about anything!

Obtain repair quotes from contractors to assist you in negotiating a fair compensation.

Collect your finances and get started on the process of renovating your property.

Your insurance claim procedure will run more easily if you are familiar with your policy terms before a crisis happens. There's no need for extra stress in the event of an emergency because you'll know exactly which policies are in place.

MORE:

Worst claim mistakes

How to save money on homeowners and car insurance

Did you realize that up to 83% of homeowners overpay for insurance? Most people don't get quotes from multiple providers before they renew their coverage, which costs them hundreds of dollars. The

Insurance Information Institute

says only 17% go above and beyond to achieve better rates.

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