Which Natural Disasters Does Homeowners Insurance Cover in Idaho?
Idaho has plenty of natural disasters a year. Click here to learn what you’re covered for.
Written by Nick Kunze
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
Fires, floods, severe storms, and earthquakes are all prevalent natural disasters in
Idaho
. Your homeowners policy will protect you from fires and storms, but you’ll need additional coverage to stay covered for floods and earthquakes.It’s important to understand what you’re covered for before an accident strikes. In fact, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III), almost a third of homeowners falsely believe their homeowners policy protects them from earthquakes.
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What is homeowners insurance—and what does it cover?
Homeowners insurance financially protects you if your home and possessions are lost and damaged. Homeowners insurance often also includes loss of use coverage, liability coverage, and medical payments coverage.
The natural disasters you’re covered for and the amount you’re covered for depends on the type of policy you choose.
Levels of homeowners insurance coverage
HO-1: This is the most basic form of homeowners insurance. HO-1 only covered the physical structure of your home. HO-1 leaves your possessions unprotected and offers no liability or medical coverage. Plus, HO-1 policies don’t cover as many perils—only basic perils like fire and lightning damage.
HO-2: This next level of coverage adds protections for your personal property. It also has more named perils you’ll be covered for.
HO-3: HO-3 is the most common form of homeowners insurance. With HO-3, you get coverage for any additional structures on the property—like a pool or fence—plus loss of use, liability, and medical payments. This is all on top of the home and property protection offered by the lower policy types.
HO-3 is an open perils policy, which will cover you for every peril except those specifically excluded on your policy. The ‘open perils’ only apply to the main structure of your home, not the other coverages involved in homeowners insurance.
HO-5: This is the peak homeowners insurance policy and the best coverage you can possibly get. An HO-5 policy gives you an open perils policy for both the physical property of your house and your personal property. However, you’ll be paying extra for this level of coverage.
Confused? Check out this chart that breaks down the different levels of homeowners insurance:
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 |
What perils are covered by homeowners insurance?
As a homeowner, it’s important to understand what you’re covered for. Homeowners insurance covers you for perils, which are sudden, unexpected events. Any damage that is preventable or due to the passage of time will not be covered.
HO-3 and lesser policies only cover you for perils specifically named on your policy, so you’ll need to get reading to understand exactly what you’re covered for.
In general, most homeowners policies will keep you covered for the following 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)
Just as important as what is listed is what isn’t—there are plenty of damages that you’ll never be covered for and some you need specialty coverage for.
Neither floods nor earthquakes are traditionally covered by homeowners insurance, meaning you’ll need to buy extra insurance to protect yourself from these catastrophes.
Key Takeaway Read your insurance policy to see what named perils you’re covered for.
Does home insurance cover natural disasters in Idaho?
Idaho is one of the most gorgeous states in the U.S., with plenty of protected wilderness and stunning mountain ranges. It is also home to frequent natural disasters, which can endanger your home.
In fact, Idaho declared 46 major disasters between 1953 and 2019, not including the countless smaller events that happen every year.
In Idaho, you need to be most prepared for fires, floods, severe storms, and earthquakes. Tornadoes are also a possibility, but they are less likely.
Wildfires
According to the
Insurance Information Institute
, Idaho is fifth for most homes at risk of fire damage in the United States. Plus, there are an average of 77,000 acres burned every year in Idaho!This amount of wildfires is in large part due to the massive forests that cover the states and seasonal dryness.
Does homeowners insurance cover fire damage?: Yes. Even the most basic homeowners policies will protect your home from wildfires.
Floods
Flash Floods can come at any time in Idaho and are usually caused by snowmelt, overflowing rivers, or drainage failures.
There are 238,000 properties at risk for flooding in the state of Idaho, and that number is only projected to increase in the coming years.
Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?: No. Floods are not covered by any homeowners policies. You’ll need a separate flood insurance policy to stay protected from flood damage.
Winter storms
Winter storms can also damage homes in Idaho. The state averages 47 inches of snow a year, although some areas of the state average over 200 inches a year.
In a winter storm, heavy wind, falling objects, snow build-up, and burst pipes can all damage your house.
Does homeowners insurance cover winter storms?: Yes. Most homeowners policies will cover the damages associated with a winter storm.
Earthquakes
Idaho is the fifth most-likely state to have an earthquake, with several active fault lines throughout the state. Idaho experiences thousands of shakes a year, although the vast majority are gentle and unobtrusive.
A bad earthquake can destroy homes and shift foundations.
Does homeowners insurance cover earthquakes?: No. An earthquake is considered an ‘earth movement,’ which is rarely covered by homeowners insurance. In fact, earthquakes are usually a named exclusion. You’ll need a separate policy to be covered for earthquakes.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes can cause massive damage if your house is in their direct line.
Tornadoes are a rarity in Idaho, but not impossible—the state has anywhere from three to six tornadoes a year.
Does homeowners insurance cover tornadoes?: Yes. Insurance carriers consider a tornado to be a ‘windstorm,’ which is usually covered.
Key Takeaway Your homeowners insurance will cover fire, storms, and tornadoes, but not floods and earthquakes.
How to file a home insurance claim
If you’re struck by a covered natural disaster, it’s important to know what to do next. Here’s how to file a home insurance claim in Idaho:
- Inventory your losses. Make note of and take photographs of all the damage to your house and possessions.
- Reach out to your insurer and tell them you’re filing a claim. You’ll get an adjuster assigned to your claim.
- Determine the cost of all your damaged possessions.
- Fill out all the paperwork sent to you by your insurer.
- Review the damages in a meeting with your adjuster. This should involve going room-to-room with the adjuster.
- Meet with contractors to get estimates on repair costs.
- Receive your payout and get your house fixed.
It’s smart to familiarize yourself with your homeowners policy before the worst happens. That way, you can handle the claims process without scrambling to figure out what to do after a disaster.
How to save money on homeowners and car insurance
If you want to save money on your insurance policy, you shouldn’t go with the first policy you see. Instead, you should go comparison shopping. This is the act of comparing different insurance quotes to see where you can get the best price.
Comparison shopping used to be a stressful, time-consuming task, forcing you to enter your personal information again and again. Now, with the help of insurance broker
Jerry
, it couldn’t be easier. One quick, free sign-up gives you access to a long list of competitive homeowners insurance quotes, all from top providers. You can use these quotes to pick the policy that’s right for you. Once you make your choice, Jerry helps with all the paperwork, saving you time.
“Jerrywas wonderful! I used it for my auto and renters policies. I trusted it so much that I signed up my homeowners insurance under Jerry as well. All of the agents are amazingly nice and knowledgeable.” —Mary Y.
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