With Hurricane Bill building strength in the Atlantic and wildfires raging on the West Coast, now isn’t the time to wonder if you have enough homeowners insurance coverage. No matter what part of the country you live in, there is always the chance of a natural disaster destroying your home, which makes having the right amount of homeowners insurance coverage more important.

Wildfires: Can Happen Pretty Much Everywhere

There are still some fires burning in Southern California. When wildfire season starts, you don’t want to be wondering if your insurance covers the damages caused by wildfires or be wondering if you have enough homeowners insurance to cover your house. Keep in mind that wildfires can spread quickly and start wherever there is dry brush.

Hurricanes: Heads Up in the Southeast

With the first hurricane of the 2009 hurricane season, Hurricane Bill is building strength out in the Atlantic. If you live in the southern part of the United States, is your home properly insured should Bill make landfall?

The good news is that a basic homeowners insurance policy will cover you from hurricanes, with an important caveat-homeowners insurance will not cover any flooding as a result of the rainfall from a hurricane. So if a tree gets blown into your house and damages your roof, you’re covered. If you sustain damage caused by flooding, then you’re out of luck, unless you purchased flood insurance.

Flooding: Almost Anywhere Can Flood

One of the biggest misconceptions about homeowners insurance coverage and natural disasters is that damage caused by flooding is covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy. To protect your home from damages caused by flooding, you will need to purchase flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program (NIFP).

Even if you don’t live in a high risk flood plane, it still is a good idea to secure some flood insurance coverage. According to the NIFP, 20-25% of flood claims come from outside high risk areas.

Earthquakes: Rocking and Rolling the West Coast and Midwest

The West Coast is historically known for being the epicenter of earthquake activity in the United States. The dominant states are California, Alaska, Hawaii and Washington. But did you know there is also a fault in Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois? While there are more frequent earthquakes out on the West Coast, it’s important to know that earthquakes aren’t only an issue for people in California.

Like floods, earthquakes aren’t covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy. You can purchase extra earthquake insurance from your insurance provider rather than going through a government program.

Tornadoes: Another Problem for the Midwest

Tornadoes predominately occur in the Midwest during Spring. The good news for people living in “Tornado Alley” is that damage caused by a tornado is covered under a basic homeowners insurance policy. If you live in an area susceptible to tornados, make sure you have enough homeowners insurance coverage to cover the costs of rebuilding, should a twister happen to come your way.