natural disasters are tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flooding, and landslides. Your homeowners insurance will cover wind, lightning, and hail damage, but you’ll need separate policies for flooding and landslides.

Some natural disasters are covered by standard homeowners insurance, while others require separate policies. It can be

overwhelming

when half of the most common disasters in your state require individual policies, as

flooding and landslides

do in Kansas.

But not to worry, home and

car insurance

super app

Jerry

can help you figure out how to get all the coverage you need for Kansas natural disasters.

What is homeowners insurance—and what does it cover?

Homeowners insurance

protects your home and belongings in the event of a destructive occurrence, such as a natural disaster. Coverage also includes insurance for loss of use,

liability

, and medical payments, but

lower levels

of homeowners insurance are

limited

in their scope.

Levels of homeowners insurance coverage

HO-1

: An HO-1 is the most basic type of homeowners insurance policy. It

only covers the structure of your house

against a

limited number of named perils

. An HO-1 is so limited, it usually won’t qualify as sufficient insurance for mortgage lenders.

HO-2

: The next level is the HO-2. Similar to the HO-1, it has a

named perils list

, but it also protects your

personal property

in addition to the structure of your house.

HO-3

: The most common homeowners insurance policy is the

HO-3 policy

. These cover the

main structure of your home

additional structures

(like a greenhouse or a garage), and

any personal property

inside the home. An HO-3 usually includes loss of use, liability, and medical payments coverage, too.

Known as an

all-risk

open perils policy

, an HO-3 covers

any peril except those listed as excluded

. However, this only applies to the main structure of your home. Your personal property and outbuildings are

still only protected against named perils

at the HO-3 level.

HO-5

: The HO-5 is an all-risk

gold standard of homeowners insurance,

covering

your home and your personal belongings

as open perils. The one downside is the cost—the HO-5 policy provides the highest level of protection, but it’s also the most expensive.

If all this info is boggling your mind, take a look at the breakdown below.

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 - open perils, personal property - listed 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?

If your insurance policy is an HO-3 or lower, you have a list of

named perils.

These can vary slightly depending on your location and your insurer, but you can usually expect coverage for the following

16 named perils

Hail and windstorms

Lightning

Fire and smoke

Volcanic eruption

Explosion

Riot or civil commotion

Damage caused by vehicles

Damage caused by aircrafts

Vandalism

Theft or malicious mischief

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

Frozen pipes (not usually covered by HO-1)

Falling objects (not usually covered by HO-1)

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

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

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

It’s important to

note what isn’t on the list.

In Kansas, two of the

most common and destructive

natural disasters are flooding and landslides, and

neither is covered

by homeowners insurance.

Key Takeaway
Your policy level determines how much homeowners insurance coverage you have against what types of damage.

Does home insurance cover natural disasters in Kansas?

Insurance Journal

ranks Kansas

#6 as the highest risk state

for natural disasters. This is partly due to the

frequency of tornadoes

and the regular occurrence of

severe thunderstorms

. Kansas also experiences

heavy flooding

, which often leads to

destructive landslides

Let’s take a closer look at natural disasters and homeowners insurance in Kansas.

Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms happen frequently in Kansas, with the most violent storms occurring in spring and summer. Multi-cell storms can go on for hours accompanied by

lightning

rain

, and

winds over 80 MPH.

Storms in Kansas and the surrounding states are

unique

because they generate lots of hail—sometimes producing

hailstones the size of softballs

These large balls of ice can cause a lot of damage to your home and property. The

good news

is that

homeowners insurance will usually cover it.

Does homeowners insurance cover storm damage?

Typically, yes. Homeowners insurance covers damage from wind, lightning, and hail.

MORE:

Is hail damage covered by car insurance?

Tornadoes

Kansas is also ranked

#6 on the US Tornado index

, experiencing an average of

88 tornadoes per year

. These storms are costly and dangerous, causing around

$2.5 million in damages per tornado.

Generally speaking, tornadoes are not named specifically by homeowners policies, but

wind, hail, lightning, and falling objects

are. Since these are the most common causes of damage during a tornado, you’re usually covered.

Does homeowners insurance cover tornado damage?

: Usually, yes. Homeowners insurance covers the most common causes of tornado damage.

MORE:

Does car insurance cover tornado damage?

Flooding

Kansas experiences

several types of flooding

Flash flooding

is the

rapid flow of high water

into a normally dry area, and it’s caused by an event like heavy rainfall—common during Kansas thunderstorms.

River flooding

also happens in some parts of Kansas, and it occurs when

rivers overflow their banks

While they can be some of the most destructive natural disasters in Kansas,

floods are not covered by homeowners insurance.

To protect your home, you must

buy a separate flood insurance policy

. These are available through the

National Flood Insurance Program

or a private insurer.

Does homeowners insurance cover flooding?

No, never. You’ll need a separate policy to cover flood damage.

MORE:

Signs of a flood damaged car

Landslides

A landslide occurs when earth, rock, or debris moves down a sloped section of land. This may sound mild, but it’s anything but. Landslides in the US cost up to

$4 billion per year

, putting them among the

most costly natural disasters,

according to the

American Geosciences Institute

Landslides, like flooding and earthquakes, are

not covered

by homeowners insurance policies. While they are considered a “movement of the Earth” like earthquakes, they’re

not covered by earthquake insurance

. They’re usually caused by water erosion, but they’re

not covered by flood insurance

, either.

So if you live in Kansas where landslides are common, how do you get coverage for your home? You’ll have to buy a

Difference in Conditions (DIC) policy

A DIC policy is designed to

fill in gaps in traditional homeowners coverage

. You can use it to cover

earthquakes, flooding, landslides, and more

, rather than buy individual coverage for disasters your normal policy doesn’t cover.

While most homeowners don’t feel the need for a DIC policy, it can be a

good idea if you live in an area prone to landslides

because no other policy provides coverage for this natural disaster.

MORE:

Does my home insurance cover earthquake damage?

Key Takeaway
Your homeowners policy will insure your home against tornadoes and thunderstorms, but you’ll need additional coverage for flooding and a DIC to protect against landslides.

How to file a home insurance claim

The process of

filing a claim against your homeowners insurance

can look daunting. In the event of a natural disaster, you’re probably in

crisis mode

and facing losses with monetary and sentimental value. Here are some

steps you can follow

to make the process as easy as possible:

Plan ahead.

Keep insurance policy proof, receipts for big purchases, and other important documents in a safe, so you don’t have to hunt for them.

Document your losses

. After the disaster, make a list of everything that was damaged. Take photos!

Determine how much you paid

for each item you’re claiming, and write it down.

Inform your insurance company

that you’re submitting a claim.

Fill out the claim paperwork

that your insurer provides. Pay attention to detail.

Get repair estimates from local contractors

to help negotiate a fair settlement with your insurance company.

Meet with the adjuster to go over the claim.

Your insurance company will assign a claims adjuster to review your evidence with you. Be thorough, so you get the payout you’re supposed to get.

Collect your funds

to start rebuilding!

Right now

, planning ahead is the smartest action you can take. In addition to protecting receipts and important documents before disaster strikes,

study the terms of your homeowners insurance policy

. If you do that, you’ll be able to file more quickly and with less frustration down the road.

MORE:

How to file a car insurance claim

How to save money on homeowners and car insurance

The 100% fail-safe way to get the best insurance price is to comparison shop. Studies from Lending Tree and the

Insurance Information Institute

show that

76% of Americans save money on insurance when they compare quotes first

. The problem is,

only 17%

take the time to do it!

This isn’t surprising when you consider how much work it is to sift through insurance quotes. It takes ages, and even if you find a good policy, companies you reach out to will spam you for weeks afterward.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Licensed broker and insurance super app

Jerry

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The best part? On average, people who use Jerry save $887 per year on insurance.

For even more savings, let Jerry help you

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your home and auto insurance policies. Jerry can even help you cancel your old policy if necessary.

“
Jerry
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