Like much of the country, Hershey, PA sees its share of severe storms throughout the year. While many are a show of lightning or strong winds, others can cause minor to significant damage to your property. The question is, does your home insurance policy cover severe storm damage?

Coverage Range

According to the agents at Options Insurance Agency, several natural disasters are covered by standard home insurance policies. These include damage due to hail, wind (including tornadoes), or lightning. A typical home insurance policy also covers fires created by these natural occurrences.

What is not Covered?

The following issues aren’t covered in a policy for a Pennsylvania home:

• Mudslides
• Landslides
• Floods resulting from storms
• Earthquakes

You can obtain coverage for these issues by adding a rider to an existing home insurance policy. In the case of floods, your mortgage company may ask you to purchase insurance to cover this natural disaster if you live near a water source.

What if I Don’t Get a Rider?

Overall, you may not need a rider for the items mentioned above. For instance, if you live in an area that’s not near mountains or a river, you probably don’t need additional coverage for mudslides or floods. If you’re unsure, speak to an insurance agent for guidance.

In the end, protecting your home is of utmost importance, so you want to maximize your coverage of natural disasters. Work with representatives at Options Insurance Agency to determine the proper value to handle severe storm damage. Additionally, ask if there are any riders you should include in the policy.