. Your standard homeowners insurance policy should cover damage from lightning, wind, hail, and fire—but you’ll need an additional policy to protect your home from earthquakes and flooding.

Figuring out exactly what homeowners insurance covers can be confusing. According to a 2020 study by Policygenius, 49.4% of Americans miscalculate how much coverage they need, meaning they could end up underinsured in the event of a disaster.

In the same study, more than half incorrectly believed that homeowners policies cover flooding, and around 80% didn’t know that homeowners policies don’t cover earthquake damage.

Missouri is a disaster-prone state, and it’s critical to know what your homeowners insurance policy covers. Here, home and

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What is homeowners insurance—and what does it cover?

A homeowners insurance policy in its most basic form covers damage to your home. Higher levels of homeowners insurance provide additional coverage for your personal property, liability coverage, and medical payments coverage for visitors injured at your home.

These levels of coverage differ in coverage amount and perils covered, so read carefully to determine what’s right for you.

Levels of homeowners insurance coverage

HO-1: The most basic type of homeowners insurance policy. It only covers your primary dwelling. Personal property, loss of use, and liability coverage are not included in an HO-1 policy. HO-1 policies cover a limited number of named perils, usually including lightning, fire, hail, and volcanic eruptions.

HO-2: The next highest level of homeowners insurance is an HO-2 policy, which covers damage to your home and your personal property caused only by the perils named in your policy.

HO-3: The most common type of homeowners insurance policy is an HO-3 policy. These policies cover the main structure of your home, additional structures (like barns or sheds), and your personal property inside the home.

A typical HO-3 will also include loss of use, liability, and medical payments coverage.

An HO-3 policy is a solid choice when you’re thinking about natural disasters. An HO-3 is an open perils policy when it comes to your house itself, meaning that it covers damage caused by any peril except those specifically excluded. Your personal property and additional structures are only protected against named perils.

HO-5: The highest level of homeowners insurance is an HO-5 policy. This is considered the gold standard of homeowners insurance. It covers your home and your personal belongings in an open perils policy. But be prepared for higher premiums—the HO-5 provides the most protection at a higher cost.

Still confused? Let’s break it down.

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:

How to decipher home insurance quotes

What perils are covered by homeowners insurance?

If you don’t have an open perils insurance policy, your property is only protected against named perils—so it’s important to know what those are.

You’ll need to read the fine print to find out exactly what your policy covers, but from a standard policy you can usually expect coverage for the following 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 (not usually covered by HO-1)

Weight of snow, ice, or sleet (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)

Frozen pipes (not usually covered by HO-1)

Take note of what isn’t on the list and what isn’t covered in HO-1 policies.

In Missouri, some of the most common natural disasters are flooding, earthquakes, and severe storms. Falling objects like trees and powerlines—common during severe storms—aren’t covered under HO-1 policies, and flood and earthquake damage aren’t covered by any homeowners policy at all.

Key Takeaway What’s covered by your homeowners insurance depends on your policy level and the specific perils named by your policy.

Does home insurance cover natural disasters in Missouri?

Insurance Journal reports Missouri as the state with the 16th highest risk of natural disasters, with a Hazard Risk Score (HRS) of 57.81 out of 100.

This score was generated by compiling data about natural disasters in the US. Ranking 16 puts Missouri in the top one-third for hazard risk in the country, partly due to its vulnerability to tornadoes and other severe storms.

Thunderstorms

Missouri frequently experiences thunderstorms, especially during the summer months. Some of these are severe, producing 60-mph winds and hail at least ¾” in diameter. The frequency and severity of these storms are increasing each year.

Missouri also experienced an uptick in lightning strikes in 2021, moving into 5th place for the highest annual number of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. Lightning causes damage by itself, but it can also cause fires that destroy homes.

Does homeowners insurance cover thunderstorm damage? Typically, yes. Check your policy, but standard homeowners insurance policies cover damage from wind, hail, lightning, and fire.

MORE:

Is hail damage covered by car insurance?

Tornadoes

Missouri is located in Tornado Alley. The state ranks in the top ten on the US Tornado Index, experiencing an average of 45 tornadoes each year.

Repairing your home after a tornado costs between $4,500 to $17,000 on average and can include cosmetic, electrical, and structural damage caused by high winds and flying debris.

Does homeowners insurance cover tornado damage? Tornadoes are not usually a named peril, but most homeowners insurance policies cover damage caused by wind, hail, and lightning. These are common causes of tornado damage, so your policy is likely to cover you.

MORE:

Does car insurance cover tornado damage?

Floods

Flooding is one of the most common natural disasters in the US and Missouri. In the first half of 2017 alone, Missouri spent over $86 million on flood damage. This is unsurprising, as

most of the state

is in a floodplain.

This poses a problem for homeowners in Missouri because flooding is never covered by homeowners insurance. Flood insurance is something you have to buy separately. You can do that through the

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

, which is run by FEMA.

MORE:

Does home insurance cover flooded basements?

Earthquakes

Earthquakes are not rare in Missouri, which sits in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. While not as famous as some other big fault lines in the US, New Madrid has caused earthquakes of up to 8.2 magnitude on the Richter scale.

Big earthquakes can cause huge amounts of damage, and like flooding, earthquakes are not covered by homeowners insurance. If you need coverage, you’ll have to purchase it separately.

It is a good idea to carry earthquake insurance for your home, especially if you live in southeastern Missouri (which is directly over that New Madrid fault line).

MORE: How to drive safely during an earthquake

Key Takeaway Your homeowners insurance should cover claims associated with thunderstorms and tornadoes, but you’ll need to purchase protection against flooding and earthquakes separately.

How to file a home insurance claim

Whether you’re in a big city like

St. Louis

or out in the country, your homeowners insurance should cover some of the most common Missouri natural disasters you’ll weather. If your home or property is damaged due to a natural disaster, here’s how to submit a claim:

Document your losses. Make an inventory of damaged possessions. Don’t forget to take photos.

Determine how much you paid for each item you’re claiming. Keeping receipts for big-ticket purchases (along with other important documents) in a fire- and weather-proof safe can help with this.

Inform your insurance company that you’re submitting a claim. They’ll assign someone called a claims adjuster to review your evidence.

Fill out the claim paperwork your insurance company provides.

Meet with the adjuster to go over the damage. Be thorough—you don’t want to miss out on money because you accidentally skipped something.

Get repair estimates from local contractors to negotiate a fair settlement with your insurer.

Collect your funds and start rebuilding your home and replacing your property.

One way to make filing an insurance claim easier is to study the terms of your homeowners insurance policy before you have to use it. It’s easier to understand and process complex language and terms when you aren’t in a state of crisis.

MORE:

Worst insurance claim mistakes

How to save money on homeowners and car insurance

The best way to save money on insurance is to compare multiple quotes. According to a 2016 study by the

Insurance Information Institute

, only 17% of homeowners compare quotes before renewing their insurance policy.

That means that 83% of homeowners could be overpaying for home insurance and not even know it.

Instead of overpaying, download the

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