What Disasters Does Flood Insurance Cover?

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Whether you live in a flood zone or just want to have extra protection from water damage, one of the options is to opt into flood insurance for your home. Understanding when you can use that coverage means knowing what types of events are covered under flood insurance.

Flash-Flooding

If your area experiences a high amount of rain in a short period, you could fall victim to flash-flooding. This means that you will get a lot of water really fast, and it could cause damage starting at the first floor and moving up.

Mudslides

Some areas will experience long-term rain, which causes mudslides in the area. When this happens, excess water gets washed into an area that might otherwise not flood, causing damage to the external part of the home. This can also happen when there is a land collapse from erosion and the water is strong enough to start washing parts of land away from the property.

Tropical Storms

These storms develop out of the ocean, traveling for hundreds of miles out in the ocean picking up speed, and can travel for miles inland. They will have severe flooding impacts due to the amount of rain coming in off of the storm and the wind coming with it.

Groundwater Flooding

Sometimes the water table beneath your home can start to flood, causing water to start rising from beneath the ground and onto the property. Groundwater flooding will start to cause damage to the foundation, and then move into the home until the water goes down beneath your home.

The damage to your home caused by these disasters can be extensive, which is why it’s a good idea to have flood insurance supplementing your main policy. If you’re in the League City, TX area, or surrounding communities, contact our team at ACU Insurance Services today for a personal quote.

What Is (and Isn’t) Covered by Windstorm Insurance?

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All of our customers in League City, TX, and the entire state of Texas are keenly aware of the potential for damage from wind. ACU Insurance Services can write the coverage you need to protect your possessions from this well-known hazard with windstorm insurance.

Windstorm insurance typically covers damage from straight-line winds, gusts of wind, and tornadoes. It offers wind and hail coverage for physical damage to your personal and real property, including both your personal belongings and structures around your house.

However, it typically does not cover some other common hazards.

  • Windstorm insurance does not cover damage caused by flooding or storm surges. You can speak with your agent about getting flood coverage with private and government flood insurance.
  • Damage to a vehicle caused by a falling tree or other debris isn’t covered by windstorm insurance, either. This may be covered by the comprehensive rider in your auto policy. Ask your agent.
  • Wear and tear, such as rotted boards or cracked window seals, isn’t covered just because they give way during a windstorm. Normal wear and tear may be covered by a warranty but not by insurance, nor is insect and rodent damage.
  • Removing fallen trees from your yard is not covered.
  • Expensive jewelry, artwork, and electronics may be covered by additional insurance, but they are not automatically part of your windstorm policy. This is also true of household antiques and classic cars.

Windstorm insurance may also include loss-of-use coverage, which can help cover expenses if you can’t live in your home due to damage.

On a standard casualty insurance policy, Windstorm insurance is often offered as a rider. ACU Insurance Services writes windstorm coverage for League City, TX, and the rest of the state. Call us today to get the windstorm coverage you need!

Getting your Texas home ready for fall hurricane season

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Each year, about 150 tropical depressions form in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. On average, six of these will develop into hurricanes. Out of these, Texas is hit by a hurricane approximately three times every four years. This pattern, recorded over almost 200 years, can be relied upon. At ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX, we assist our customers in preparing for hurricane season.

Ensure you have insurance coverage.

One of the first actions you should take is to verify that hurricane damage is not excluded from your home insurance policy. If it is, you must acquire alternative coverage through another policy or a rider. Contact your insurance agent at once.

Check your roof

Your roof must be in sound condition to shield your home from a hurricane. Have a professional inspect it and recommend any required repairs. Replacing any loose or damaged tiles can prevent internal damage.

Clean your gutters

Gutters collect debris from trees and leaves during the early fall. If your gutters are not functioning correctly, massive downpours can cause backup and damage to your home’s ceiling.

Trim tree branches

Given that hurricanes bring strong winds, ensuring no tree limbs are overhanging your home and all dead branches are removed will protect your home from being damaged by flying wood.

Have an evacuation plan

In case of flooding, you should be prepared with an escape plan and keep all your important documents in a waterproof container that you can easily take with you.

If you would like to discuss your home insurance needs, contact our office at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX.

Why Every Homeowner Needs Flood Insurance

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Many homeowners underestimate the need for flood insurance, erroneously considering it unnecessary. However, it’s essential to possess home and flood insurance when you own a home. Holding both types of policy offers protection from a vast spectrum of risks that homeowners confront. If you suddenly need flood insurance to bolster your financial defense, don’t hesitate to contact us at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX.

Floods Can Happen Anywhere

A common misconception leads many people to skip flood insurance simply because they do not reside within a designated flood zone. The prevailing notion is that flooding solely occurs within these delineated zones. Despite the increased likelihood of floods in these areas, they certainly aren’t the exclusive sites of such natural disasters. Most flood damage claims originate from within these zones, but a significant one in five emerges from outside these areas. Thus, coverage remains necessary, regardless of your residential location.

Impact of Flood Damage

Floods can cause extensive damage to structures, landscapes, and hardscapes. Flooding can cause such severe damage to a home that it necessitates a complete reconstruction. Flood insurance can defray costs associated with such damages and aid in rebuilding, should the need arise. Flood insurance is regulated and backed by the National Flood Insurance Program, a federal assurance that provides a safety net in cases of flooding-induced damage. Uniform pricing of flood insurance ensures affordability and accessibility to all potential policyholders.

Secure Your Flood Insurance Policy

If you own a home and do not yet have a flood insurance policy, now is the time to take action. Contact us at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX to learn more.

How to Defend a Home Against High Winds

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High winds are not something that homeowners think about until they encounter them. The destructive force of high winds is enough to throw things around, damage various areas of the property that are exposed to the elements, and, in extreme cases, destroy the whole property itself. You can’t prepare for every potential possibility or even prevent your home from becoming damaged when a serious natural disaster arrives. But you can find ways to improve the home’s durability so that it’s better equipped to deal with such threats. Here’s some helpful guidance on defending your home against high winds and how we here at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX can help you with further preparations. 

How to Defend a Home Against High Winds

The first step in defending a home against high winds is identifying the most vulnerable areas. This often includes the roof, weakened walls, exposed areas like windows, and even some of your yard decorations. The next step is to secure these areas. If your roof hasn’t received maintenance in a while, getting it repaired or even switching to a stronger roofing material is an excellent choice. Reinforcing your windows and walls will help them stay in place and prevent things from crashing through them easily. When it comes to your outdoor decor, firmly attaching everything to the ground can prevent things from being blown around. It’s a lot of work but worth it in the long run!

Protect Your Home With ACU Insurance Services

When high winds strike, you want to ensure you’re covered. At ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX, we work diligently with homeowners like you to get windstorm insurance you can depend on. Compare quotes or contact us today!

Can Flood Insurance Protect a Vacation Home?

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At ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX, we can help you insure your primary residence and your vacation home as needed. For homeowners who are affected by flooding or concerned about flooding, flood insurance is a must. Additionally, some mortgage lenders require flood insurance to lend to you. When you own a vacation home, you may be extra worried about flood damage since you’re not always occupying the dwelling. We can address these concerns in the article below.

What Is Flood Insurance?

Flood insurance covers damage related to flooding. In qualifying events, you can expect most flood insurance policies to provide coverage for repairing the damage associated with these circumstances. Since regular homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover flooding in many cases, it’s smart to have flood insurance as extra protection.

Can Flood Insurance Protect a Vacation Home?

Although every second home insurance policy is different, most home insurance policies for primary dwellings and secondary dwellings will not provide coverage for flooding. As a result, you will most likely require specialized flood insurance if you own one or more houses. For vacation properties, flood insurance can be useful. As long as you find a flood insurance policy that covers vacation homes or secondary dwellings, you can use that coverage in the event of a flood. 

Before you assume that flood insurance covers a secondary dwelling, you should speak with our insurance agents and review your options for protecting a vacation home from flood damage. Additionally, you should get coverage before you need it. Waiting until a flood happens to explore options can make it impossible to cover those expenses.

To protect all of your properties, call our team at ACU Insurance Services in League City, TX!

Does My Home Insurance Cover Termite Damage?

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ACU Insurance Services believes that insurance best protects you when you understand what it does for you. The homeowners’ insurance you buy to protect your League City, TX, home protects you from financial loss from many perils but not from termite damage.

Homeowners’ Policies Don’t Cover Creeping Threats

Home insurance policies do not cover termite damage. The insurance industry considers it a creeping threat that a homeowner could discover by doing an annual property inspection. The perils coverage of your homeowners’ policy protects against sudden loss, such as fire or theft. Those perils you can’t fully prevent, but you can prepare for them.

Proper Maintenance Prevents Termite Damage Homeowners can prevent termites from damaging their homes. Each year, they should examine their homes, especially the typically unseen areas, like the attic, basement, crawl space, and garage rafters. Termites start in those areas closest to the exterior of the home and work their way in. When they eat wood, termites leave small trails where they munch, making their meals easy to spot.

Stopping Termites in Their Tracks

Termites take many years to cause serious damage, so an annual inspection uncovers their early work. When you spot termites or evidence of them, call a pesticide firm to spray your home. A termite exterminator can kill off the vermin quickly and at a reasonable cost. When addressed quickly, a termite infestation costs no more than a visit from the exterminator.

Contact Our Insurance Agency Today

No homeowners’ policy covers termite damage, but at ACU Insurance Services, we help our customers in and around League City, TX, better understand what their homeowners’ policies and other insurance cover. Let us help you better protect your home. Call or email us today. 

Prepare Your Residence for A Flood

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Identifying effective tactics to prepare your home for a potential flood will safeguard both your property’s structure and stored possessions.

Flood Protection Measures

Implementing proper flood protection strategies will notably reduce the chances of needing to file a flood insurance claim. In instances where filing a claim becomes necessary, employed protection measures may restrict the overall damage suffered by your home and belongings.

Tackle Property Concerns

Initiate an inspection of your property to identify any drainage-related concerns. Your thorough check should include elements like fencing, walls, and underground plumbing. Water pooling can damage your land and items within your home significantly. Address these concerns promptly, repairing any compromised structural elements.

Inspect Interior Parts of Your Home

An internal inspection of your residence is equally vital. This check will assess the interior structural material conditions and the security of indoor-stored items. An effective strategy post-inspection could involve upgrading windows, doors, or other structural materials to prevent water infiltration

Safeguard Your Valuables

Develop a storage plan to protect valuable possessions from rising floodwaters. Items of value should be stored in a waterproof safe or container on the upper level of your home. Your flood insurance policy should ideally cover these valuable possessions.

If you have reservations about the amount of flood insurance coverage you require, get in touch with an ACU Insurance Services agent today. Representatives are on standby to assist residents of League City, TX.

Windstorm Insurance: FAQs

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If you live in an area with a high risk of storms and hails, you may want to consider getting windstorm insurance. This type of insurance is created to cover your home if it is damaged by hail or storms. You can add it to your existing home insurance or purchase it separately. If you have never heard of this insurance before but want to consider buying it, here are answers to the most common questions about it: 

What Does Windstorm Insurance Cover?

A standard windstorm insurance policy includes five types of coverage. They are dwelling coverage (covering the home itself and other structures attached to it), other structures coverage (covering other structures on the property), personal property coverage (covering any personal belongings), loss of rent coverage (reimbursing for the loss of rent), and loss of use coverage (paying for hotel stays, restaurant meals, and other additional expenses if a home is being repaired or rebuilt). 

How Do You Know If You Need Windstorm Insurance?

As mentioned above, it depends on the area you live. There are coastal communities in certain states where hail and wind might be excluded from your standard home insurance. That is why you need windstorm insurance to protect your property. Texas is one of these states. 

How Can You Get Windstorm Insurance? 

There are three different ways to purchase windstorm insurance. The first is to add windstorm coverage as an endorsement to your existing home insurance. The second is to purchase it as a separate policy. Finally, your state administers an insurance pool. 

If you live in League City, TX, or any other nearby area and are searching for windstorm insurance to ensure that your home is well protected in case of a storm or hail, ACU Insurance Services is the local insurance agency that will be happy to assist you. If you need help finding the right policy, feel free to reach out to ACU Insurance Services, which serves clients in League City and other surrounding areas. 

Protect Your Farmland from Floods – Measures to Take Before Insuring Your Property

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Protecting Your Newly Purchased FarmLand

If you have recently acquired farmland, here are several strategies to protect your property from potential damage and theft. Once your land has been prepared, contact our agents in League City, TX, for the seamless preparation of your insurance documents.

Property Assessment

An appraisal can determine the current value and dimensions of your property – vital information when purchasing an insurance policy that will offer sufficient protection for your land.

Land Grading

Grading your land removes surface inconsistencies. This process could prevent rainwater from pooling, thus reducing the risk of floods.

Soil Care Practices

Soil conditions on your property may need modification. For instance, if the soil isn’t adequately aerated, it could impact the drainage capabilities of your land, which can be rectified through soil aeration or compaction. Should there be any holes on your property, they can be filled using topsoil.

Installation of Drainage Materials

New drainage materials may be necessary if any drainage problems have previously been detected. Just installing perforated drain lines, gutter sections, and other such materials to steer water away could lessen the impact of rising waters. Consequently, these materials can protect your home and land from unexpected floods.

Contact ACU Insurance Services

Reach out to one of our ACU Insurance Services agents in League City, TX, today for an inquiry about flood insurance coverage. Our agent will prepare your insurance policy and ensure you’re well covered.