Tropical storms, wildfires, tornadoes, landslides, and flooding are some of the most common natural disasters in Georgia
. Your standard homeowners insurance policy should provide coverage for wind, fire, and hail, but you’ll need additional coverage to safeguard against landslides and flooding. When it comes to protecting your home from natural disasters, it's incredibly important to know what your insurance policy actually covers. Many homeowners incorrectly believe that flooding—either caused by rainfall or storm surges—is a peril their home insurance protects against, but this isn’t true.
Understanding your policy’s natural disaster coverage can be confusing. That’s why licensed home and auto insurance
super app Jerry
has compiled everything you need to know about natural disasters and homeowners insurance in Georgia. What is homeowners insurance—and what does it cover?
At their base level, homeowners insurance policies exist to provide coverage for your home and its contents in the event it is damaged by a named peril. In general, these policies also provide loss of use, liability, and medical payment coverage if guests are injured while on your property. Policies vary in the types of perils they protect against as well as in the levels of coverage they offer.
Levels of homeowners insurance coverage
When it comes to homeowners insurance policy types, there are four levels you should be aware of:
HO-1: An HO-1 is the most basic and least inclusive type of homeowners insurance policy, only covering your primary dwelling but not personal property, liability, or loss of use. In general, an HO-1 policy will only provide coverage for a set number of named perils, which usually include wind, lightning, hail, theft, etc.
HO-2: The second type of homeowners policy is HO-2, which protects your home and personal property from damages caused by the perils listed in your policy.
HO-3: The most popular type of homeowners insurance is the HO-3 policy. This level includes coverage for both the main structure and additional structures (e.g. sheds or fences), as well as loss of use, personal property, and medical payments.
An HO-3 policy is called an open perils policy (at least with regard to the home itself), meaning it provides coverage for any peril unless explicitly stated in the policy. HO-3 policies do not protect personal property against anything but the named perils.
HO-5: The policy which provides the most inclusive coverage is the HO-5 policy, which protects both your home and personal property under an open perils framework. This extra coverage, however, comes with the caveat of higher costs.
If all of this sounds confusing, check out this simple chart that helps break down the four homeowners policy types.
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| Main structure, personal property, loss of use, liability, medical payments | |
| Main structure, personal property, loss of use, liability, medical payments | Main structure - open perils, personal property - listed perils only |
| Main structure, personal property, loss of use, liability, medical payments | |
What perils are covered by homeowners insurance?
Regardless of the policy type you have, you should always carefully read through it to familiarize yourself with what perils it does and doesn’t provide coverage for. Homeowners are encouraged to sift through the fine print to be sure, but most policies will provide coverage for these 16 named perils:
Damage caused by vehicles
Damage caused by aircrafts
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)
You can rely on policies HO-2 to HO-5 to provide coverage for all sixteen, but an HO-1 will likely only protect against the first ten—make sure to check with your insurance agent if you have questions about what perils your policy covers.
Key Takeaway Coverage provided by your homeowners insurance policy depends largely on the specific perils it protects against as well as the policy type itself.
Does home insurance cover natural disasters in Georgia?
As a hotspot for tornadoes and tropical storms, homes in Georgia are frequently subjected to a range of natural disasters, and it’s important to know which ones are included in a home insurance policies list of named perils. In the section below, we’ll break down which of Georgia’s common disasters are covered by your home insurance, as well as a few that may require additional coverage.
Wildfires
According to the Insurance Information Institute, Georgia recorded 2,139 wildfires in 2021, landing it a spot at number seven in the top ten states for wildfires ranked by number. 2007 saw one of the state’s largest wildfires on record—the Big Turnaround Fire—burn through almost 390,000 acres before it was stopped.
Fortunately for homeowners, every single homeowners policy type—from HO-1 to HO-5—provides coverage for damages caused by smoke and fire, meaning your home and belongings should be protected if a wildfire moves through your area.
Hurricanes & Tropical Storms
Due to its position along the southeastern coast, Georgia is highly susceptible to tropical storms and hurricanes, particularly during the summer and autumn months. While only a few hurricanes ever make landfall in Georgia, the state still receives their heavy wind and rain, and tropical storms with wind speeds of 70 mph are common.
Both hurricanes and tropical storms can cause storm surges and may result in flooding—a disaster that no homeowners insurance policy covers.
You can, however, rely on your homeowners policy to protect against wind, lightning, and power surge damage inflicted by hurricanes and tropical storms.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes are one of Georgia’s most frequent and destructive natural disasters, averaging upwards of 30 per year. These usually form during the late spring and early summer months, especially if tropical storms are also present.
Though they are not listed as a separate peril, the damages caused by tornadoes are covered by most homeowners insurance policies, as all four should include wind, hail, and lightning damage in their list of named perils. If a tornado touches down in your area, your home and belongings should be protected.
Storm Surges & Flooding
With close proximity to the coast and a high frequency of hurricanes/tropical storms, Georgian homes are at high risk of flooding from either extreme rainfall or storm surges.
Unless you’re working with some sort of special policy, a standard homeowners insurance plan will not provide coverage for any damages resulting from flooding. If you want to insure your home against flood damage, you’ll have to do it through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private insurer.
Landslides
High rainfall and severe weather in Georgia can result in increased levels of erosion and ground instability—two conditions perfect for causing landslides. These slides can be particularly devastating if they occur near your home, but are fortunately on the rarer side as far as disasters go.
Like earthquakes, your insurance company considers landslides to be “earth movements” and will not provide coverage for them in your standard homeowners insurance plan. Instead, you will have to purchase a “Difference in Conditions” policy—usually from a surplus lines insurer—if you wish to protect your home from landslide-related damages.
Key Takeaway Homeowners insurance provides coverage for damages associated with wildfires, tornadoes, and hurricanes, but additional policies may be required to protect against landslides and flooding.
How to file a home insurance claim
Regardless of whether you live in Savannah or Clarkston, your homeowners insurance should provide protection against the majority of Georgia’s non-flooding disasters. If the unthinkable happens and your home is damaged by nature’s fury, you can submit a claim by following the steps listed below:
Document any losses. Make a careful inventory of damaged possessions and take photographs for further evidence.
Contact your insurance provider and let them know you want to submit a claim. They will assign an adjuster to verify and review the evidence.
Keep track of how much you paid for each damaged or destroyed item.
Fill out the claim paperwork your insurance company gives you.
Go over the damages with the adjuster. Make sure the tour of your home’s damages is thorough so you don’t miss out on insurance money.
Talk with local contractors to figure out repair estimates. This will help you to negotiate a fairer settlement with your insurance company.
Use the provided funds to start repairing or rebuilding your home.
As a responsible homeowner, the most important thing you can do is understand the conditions of your home insurance policy before you actually need to submit a claim. This helps eliminate confusion when it comes time to decide whether you need to file a claim or not, as you already know what your policy covers.
How to save money on home and auto insurance
Regardless of if you’re living on the East Coast or South Coast, homeowners insurance is easily one of the most important purchases you’ll ever make. A good homeowners policy is key to keeping your home and belongings safe from natural disasters—but how do you make sure you aren’t being ripped off while getting the coverages you need?
Licensed home and auto insurance comparison app and broker Jerry
is the answer. All you have to do is answer a 45-second questionnaire and Jerry will start comparing dozens of affordable quotes from over 50 trusted insurance companies—without forcing you through hours of paperwork. Once you find a homeowners policy you like, Jerry can even help you bundle it with your car insurance!
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