Wildfires, severe storms, drought, flooding, and earthquakes are among the most common natural disasters in Utah
. A standard homeowners insurance policy will protect against fire, wind, ice, and damage from power outages, but you’ll need to purchase additional insurance for earthquakes and flooding. Knowing which disasters your homeowners insurance provides coverage for, as well as those it doesn’t, is incredibly important, and helps you know what to expect after nature’s fury is unleashed. Many homeowners incorrectly assume their policies cover earthquake and flood damage—an assumption that leaves them unprepared and paying out of pocket when disaster strikes.
Making sense of your policy’s natural disaster coverage can be frustrating. That’s why Jerry
, the licensed home and auto insurance
super app, has put together everything you need to know about natural disasters and homeowners insurance in Utah. What is homeowners insurance—and what does it cover?
A standard homeowners insurance policy exists to provide coverage for your home and its contents in the event it is damaged by a named peril. Most policies also provide liability coverage, loss of use coverage, and medical payment coverage should guests be injured on your property. Different policies vary in the levels of coverage they offer as well as the perils they protect against.
Levels of homeowners insurance coverage
When it comes to homeowners insurance policy types, there are four levels you should be aware of:
HO-1: as the most basic type of homeowners insurance policy, an HO-1 only provides coverage for your primary dwelling—liability, loss of use, and personal property are not covered. These policies only protect against a limited number of named perils, which usually include theft, wind, fire, hail, and other minor natural disasters.
HO-2: Much like the HO-1, HO-2 only protects against the named perils listed in your homeowners policy, but extends that coverage to both your home and personal property.
HO-3: An HO-3 is the most common type of homeowners insurance policy and includes coverage for both the main house and any additional structures (think fences, sheds, greenhouses, etc.), as well as liability, loss of use, and personal property protection.
When it comes to perils, HO-3s are considered open perils policies for the main structure, meaning any peril except those explicitly excluded is protected against. Personal property coverage, however, only protects against named perils.
HO-5: The highest and most comprehensive level of homeowners policies is the HO-5, which protects both your home and your personal property on an open-perils policy—the catch, however, is that this type of coverage comes at a steep price.
If all of this sounds confusing, check out this simple chart that breaks down the four types.
| 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?
Regardless of whether you have an HO-1, HO-2, or an HO-3 insurance policy, you’ll need to carefully read through it to understand which perils it provides coverage for. It’s recommended that homeowners comb through the fine print to be sure, but you can expect most policies to include protection against these 16 named perils:
Damage caused by vehicles
Damage caused by aircraft
Weight of snow, ice, or sleet
Water overflow/discharge from plumbing
An HO-2 or HO-3 will provide coverage for all 16 named perils, but an HO-1 will likely only protect against the first ten, so make sure to check with your insurance agent if you have any questions.
Key Takeaway The coverage provided by your homeowners insurance depends on the policy type itself along with the named perils it protects against.
Does home insurance cover natural disasters in Utah?
While Utah is not exactly considered a hotspot for natural disasters, having only recorded 38 major disasters over the last 70 years, the disasters it does experience have the potential to be quite devastating. Let’s break down which of Utah’s common disasters are—as well as a few that aren’t—covered by your homeowners insurance.
Wildfires
Utah is considered to be one of the most wildfire-prone states in the country and experiences an average of 800 to 1000 fires annually. A study conducted in 2020 found that nearly 14% of all properties in Utah—coming out to about 136,000 homes—were at high to extreme risk for serious wildfire damage.
While wildfires are not ideal, homeowners will be pleased to know that all four levels of home insurance provide coverage for fire and smoke damage, meaning your house and belongings will be protected should wildfires move through your area.
Earthquakes & Landslides
With over 200 active faults, estimates put approximately 95% of Utah homeowners as living in high-risk areas for earthquakes and landslides, both of which can cause serious damage to your home.
Unfortunately, no level of home insurance provides coverage for sudden and accidental losses caused by earth movement, so a separate policy is needed if you wish to protect your home and belongings when the earth starts to shake.
Earthquake insurance can be purchased as a policy unto itself from private insurance carriers but is also available through “Difference in Conditions” policies (which usually cover landslides, earthquakes, and mudflows) offered by surplus lines insurers.
Tornadoes
Though they are not overly common, averaging out to only 2-3 a year, tornadoes have the potential of being extremely destructive and several category F3 tornadoes have been recorded in Utah since the 1950s.
Despite not listing tornadoes as a separate peril, most homeowners insurance policies will cover any wind, hail, or lightning damage. If a tornado touches down in your area, you should be covered.
Winter & Severe Storms
Inclement weather is a risk throughout the year in Utah, with severe storms possible during both the coldest and warmest months of the year. Thunderstorms are common from May to August and are characterized by high winds, hail, heavy rainfall, and lightning—all of which can seriously damage your home.
Similarly, Utah experiences harsh winter storms—it is not uncommon for any given year to see blizzards, freezing rain, and/or heavy snow accumulation during the winter months.
Fortunately, HO-2 to HO-5 insurance policies protect against many of the perils associated with severe winter and summer storms, including wind, hail, weight from snow or ice accumulation, power surges, and frozen pipes. HO-1 policies will likely only cover damages caused by wind and hail.
Flooding
Though it is a landlocked state, floods—especially flash floods—are Utah’s most destructive disaster, posing a serious threat to homes and businesses. Rapid snowmelt and severe storms with high rainfall are the most common causes of flooding and may catch homeowners by surprise as streams and rivers overflow.
Current estimates put roughly 8.4% of all homes—or approximately 113,100 houses—in Utah as being high risk for flood damage.
Unless you have a special policy, homeowners insurance will not provide coverage for damages or losses caused by flooding. Insuring your home against flooding requires a separate policy and is available through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private insurer.
Key Takeaway Most homeowners insurance policies will provide coverage for damages sustained from tornadoes, severe storms, wildfires, and winter storms. Additional protection against flooding, earthquakes, and landslides requires the purchase of separate insurance policies.
How to file a home insurance claim
Regardless of where you live in Utah, your homeowners insurance should provide protection against the majority of natural disasters the Beehive State experiences. In the event your home or property is damaged due to one of these disasters, follow the steps listed below to submit a claim:
Document your losses. Keep careful inventory and take photos of any damaged possessions.
Contact your insurance company and inform them you wish to submit a claim. An adjuster will be assigned to review and validate the evidence.
Determine how much each item originally cost. Keeping receipts for important or expensive items can help with this.
Fill out the claim paperwork provided by your insurance company.
Meet with the adjuster to assess the damage. This step is crucial, and it’s important to go over all damage on a room-by-room basis so as not to miss out on insurance money.
Contact local contractors for repair estimates to help negotiate a fair settlement.
Collect your insurance money and get to work repairing the damages.
As a homeowner, the best thing you can do is understand the terms of your homeowners insurance policy before disaster strikes. When it comes time to consider whether or not you need to submit a claim, you’ll already know what’s covered and what isn’t, eliminating confusion.
How to save money on home and auto insurance
Whether you’re living in Salt Lake or South Ogden, homeowners insurance is one of the most important purchases you’ll ever make and is integral to keeping your home safe from natural disasters. Make sure you aren’t paying too much for your policy with licensed home and auto insurance super app Jerry
. All you have to do is answer a short questionnaire and Jerry will find and compare affordable quotes from over 50 trusted insurance providers—no long forms or paperwork required. You can even have Jerry bundle your home and auto insurance while you’re at it, ensuring you save as much money as possible.
“Jerry
was 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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