Are you insured for spring disasters?

Beautiful spring brings May flowers and sunny weather. But it can also bring tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods.

Insurance policies are pretty dry reading and many homeowners aren’t at all familiar with what types of disaster coverage they really have. They may not realize that standard homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. Or they don’t realize that earthquakes aren’t covered. Or they don’t know whether their policy will cover mortgage payments if they suffer a disability. If you really hate to read policies, make a list of questions to ask your insurance agent.

Experts at the Alliance of American Insurers, a trade association in Downers Grove, Ill., say it’s important to read your policy before a disaster strikes. A 1999 study by the Insurance Research Council shows that 60 percent of Americans believe that a major natural disaster is likely to hit them in the next 10 years. But just 6 percent had flood insurance and only 17 percent had earthquake insurance.

Standard homeowner’s insurance covers fire, vandalism (but it might not cover riots), explosions, lightning, wind, hail, falling objects, and water damage from plumbing. They also provide liability and theft protection. All policies are not the same. Homeowners should know what their policy covers.