Types of Water Damage Property Owners Should Know About

3/15/2019 (Permalink)

If you have homeowners insurance you might think your home is safe, but are you confident that your home is protected against flooding and/or water damage? It’s important to know the difference between both types and whether or not you’re covered.

For starters, it’s good to know the difference between flood damage and water damage.

What is Home Flooding?

A flood is external, resulting from heavy rains, tsunamis, storms, mudslides, hurricanes, and overflowing rivers. Basically, if there is a natural disaster your home may be in danger.

Flooding is a type of water damage, but is not referred as that because it is very specific. Since water damage is a general term, you can not substitute it with a more specific term, but flooding (being a branch of water damage) can be substituted with the more general term.

This can be very helpful when you are calling for repair services because if you let them know what kind of incident you have, they will come more prepared to solve that problem.

If you are experiencing abnormally aggressive weather, you should keep yourself updated on the National Weather Service. They may advise you to seek higher ground or even an evacuation if things are really bad.

What is Home Water Damage?

Simply speaking, this is any harm that is caused by water, which technically includes flooding. This is a general term compared to other terms that specify what kind of damage has happened.

That being said, this general term can be more easily applied to more internal incidents, resulting from leaks, pipe bursts, appliance malfunctions etc. This can be mixed up with more specific kinds of damage since both cause damage to your home in similar ways.

When communicating about this kind of incident in your home, it’s appropriate to refer to it just as water damage. If you’re speaking to someone in hopes of helping you with your problem, you need to specify by first introducing the problem and then include the source or affected area, e.g. “I have water damage from a heater leak” or “I have water damage on my ceiling”.

Flood Damage Insurance

This kind of insurance is not typically covered by any home insurance policy. Instead, it is offered through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or private insurers. Since the number of people who are actually at risk is very small, it’s not covered by most insurance policies. If you live in an area that is normally or constantly affected by flooding, it might be a good idea to apply with the NFIP.

Water Damage Insurance

Most homeowners insurance policies cover water damage. However, it never hurts to make sure that you are covered. Some policies only cover specific types of damage, so it’s good to make sure what is and is not covered. It can also be covered individually by normal insurance providers.

How We Can Help You When You Have Flooding in Your Home

At SERVPRO of Henderson/Boulder City, we offer guidance through the filing process. We’re experienced in dealing with small to large insurance companies. If you ever need water damage restoration or unsure of the insurance claims process, contact us (702) 564-8508.