This was a wild weekend in Kansas…er…Ottawa. Three tornadoes, 260 km/h winds and 170,000 households without power. The photos of the devastation are surreal, as are the stories of survival and loss.
Now that the power is back on, reality is setting in for many. Even in my neighbourhood which was relatively unaffected, though quite close to one of the tornadoes, many people are asking about what can and cannot be claimed under their home insurance. Some were forced to throw out hundreds of dollars worth of frozen food. Others had tree limbs cause damage to their property or neighbours cars. And those are the lucky ones who did not lose rooves or even homes.
That’s why we have Home Insurance, right?
If you haven’t already, make sure you read your full home insurance policy! As every policy is different it is worth knowing what is and what isn’t covered.
Here are some quick hit items every policy owner should know!
Making a claim
The most important point about claiming is to call your insurance provider as soon as possible. Once you make a claim you lose the ‘claim-free discount’. In my case that’s 15% or about $100 a year. Be sure to do the math before you make a small claim.
Be sure to take photos of everything and keep all receipts!
To read an interesting CBC article about home insurance misconceptions click here.
Final Thoughts
Insurance is an important part of everyone’s life, but just as important are friends, family and community. This past weekend I was blown away by the generosity of the whole city as everyone banded to together to help those in need. Events like this remind us of what is really important!