Standard homeowners insurance covers lightning and hail damage, but some natural disasters require additional coverage

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• Homeowners insurance protects your home from fire, wind, hail, and lightning damage.
• Natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and wildfires may require additional coverage.
• If you live in an area where natural disasters are common, contact your insurance carrier about coverage.
• See Insider's picks for the best homeowner insurance companies.

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Due to climate change, we are seeing an increase in the frequency of natural disasters, sometimes in areas where they haven't occurred before. It's important for homeowners in disaster-prone areas to have the proper coverage in case of floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, mudslides, and wildfires.

If you have homeowners insurance, you have coverage to protect damage to your home from covered events known as insurance perils. But there are limitations to that coverage that may require add-on or separate coverage.

And as for damage to your car due to a natural disaster, it won't be covered under homeowners insurance, but if you have comprehensive car insurance you should be covered.

Which natural disasters are covered by homeowners insurance?

Homeowners insurance covers your property from damage, referred to as insurance perils. A peril is an event that may damage your home or belongings. There are two types of insurance perils: named perils and open/all perils.

The type of peril coverage you have depends on the type of homeowners insurance you purchased: condo, home, townhome, mobile home, renter, or new construction.

Most homeowners insurance covers named perils, which are events that are specifically listed in your insurance policy. Open/all peril coverage includes named perils and is a more expansive coverage for HO-3 (special) and HO-7 (mobile home) homeowners.

Earthquakes, floods, government seizures, mudslides, ordinance updates, sewer backups and sinkholes are all perils that won't be covered by homeowners insurance, according to Hippo Insurance. Those will require add-on coverage using a rider policy.

*Open/all peril coverage includes named perils and is more expansive, covering anything not specifically excluded in the policy and only applies to HO-3 and HO-7 dwelling coverage policies.

Source: Data from The Zebra and Lemonade

Homes located in disaster-prone areas will have increased premiums because these types of events are not included in basic coverage and will need to be add-on riders.

There are three components to homeowners insurance: dwelling coverage, personal property coverage, and liability coverage.

If something happens to your home, you can have it repaired or rebuilt under dwelling coverage. Your dwelling consists of your home and any other structures on the property, like a garage or shed. Personal property protects your belongings and furnishings from damage or theft. Liability coverage protects you if someone is injured on your property.

*Available as add-on coverage if not part of policy

**Flood insurance is available through the NFIP and approved insurers

***If you live in hurricane or tornado areas, additional windstorm rider may be required

Hurricane insurance coverage

Hurricane insurance refers to the coverage necessary to cover hurricane damage. A hurricane has to be a declared event, which is dictated by an announcement from the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricanes cause flooding and high winds that can damage homes. Damage to your home from winds is usually covered under your homeowners insurance. However, high winds are excluded and if you live in hurricane zones or coastal areas, you may be required to get an add-on windstorm rider.

Homeowners insurance covers water damage, but not flooding. Proper hurricane insurance requires a combination of homeowners and flood insurance. If you live in certain states, you may also need additional coverage for windstorm damage.

Flood insurance coverage

Flood insurance is in addition to your homeowners insurance policy to cover flood-related damage. Flood insurance is required if you are in a high-risk flood zone. A flood is defined as surface water entering the inside of your home structure through existing openings that are above ground level.

Flood insurance specifically excludes water damage from sump pumps, sewer water, broken pipes, rain from an open window, and rain from windstorms.

"Flooding is one of the most common and costly natural disasters in the US, and given we are in the midst of an above-average hurricane season, consumers need to ensure that they will not be left exposed if their homes are hit hard by a storm," said Ralph Blust, CEO of the National Flood Services. NFS administers flood insurance on behalf of FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Blust said Hurricane Harvey's damage to Houston was five miles off the coast, where it had never flooded in the past five years and most of those homeowners didn't have flood insurance.

Homeowners who live outside of high-risk flood zones and do not have flood insurance will pay for damage out-of-pocket because flood damage isn't covered under homeowners insurance. According to Blust, one inch of flood damage alone can cost a household up to $20,000.

Tornado insurance coverage

Tornado insurance refers to the coverage necessary to insure against damage caused by tornadoes. Tornadoes typically cause damage through winds and hail, though water damage can occur as well.

Although standard homeowners insurance covers wind and hail, it doesn't cover extreme hail or high winds like those from tornadoes. If you live in an area where tornadoes are common, you may need additional windstorm insurance.

Earthquake insurance coverage

Earthquake insurance is required for California homeowners. "Earth movement" coverage refers to shifts in land resulting from an earthquake, according to Steve Wilson, senior underwriting manager at Hippo Insurance. Aftershocks happen after an earthquake and can occur over a period of time up to 72 hours.

For homeowners who live in areas where earthquakes are rare, Wilson said most homeowner policy language offers coverage for "resulting damage." For example, in New York City, earthquakes aren't covered but if the earthquake caused a fire, damage from the fire will be covered.

It's best to talk to your homeowners insurance carrier to determine if you need "earth movement" coverage or if standard homeowners insurance is enough.

Wildfires and mudslides insurance coverage

Homeowners insurance covers fire damage. However, if you live in areas where wildfires are common, Wilson recommends getting a rider for extended replacement cost coverage under your dwelling coverage because material costs go up after a wildfire.

Wilson said after a wildfire there are no more trees, so mudslides are a potential peril. However, he said that sometimes earthquake coverage will apply to mudslides, but a separate rider is best because mudslides can occur outside of an earthquake or wildfire.

Will homeowners insurance cover relocation?

"Loss of use" coverage, also known as "additional living expenses" or ALE, is included in most homeowners and renters insurance policies and provides reimbursement for temporary housing when a peril causes damage to your property or belongings that makes your home or rental unit inhabitable.

For "loss of use" and "additional living expenses," much depends on your insurance carrier and it varies by provider. Some carriers will reimburse you for temporary housing. Others may have a list of housing alternatives.

Ashlee Tilford, managing editor for Insurance.com, told Insider that most homeowners have a misconception of what constitutes "inhabitable." Don't assume that your insurance carrier will pay additional living expenses, because the definition of inhabitable varies by company.

If you're considering leaving your home due to damage, contact your homeowners or renters insurance provider first and take detailed pictures of the damage. Make sure to lock up and secure the premises as well.

Tips to prepare your home in the event of a natural disaster

Hippo Insurance's Wilson recommends taking the following steps to make sure you're prepared if a natural disaster does happen.

1. Review your homeowners insurance annually with your carrier to make sure you have proper coverage for your region.
2. Have an evacuation plan on where to meet and what time ahead of a disaster and communicate that with family members.
3. Have a small bag with medication, flashlight, and batteries for three days.
4. Have temporary repair equipment available like a tarp.
5. Contact your homeowners insurance carrier if a natural disaster announcement is declared.
6. Prevent damage by doing home maintenance looking for weak points – under sinks, gutters, shingles, debris around the foundation – and signs of wear and tear.

What to do if you experience damage from a natural disaster

After experiencing a disaster, Wilson recommends staying in touch with your homeowners insurance company to let them know what's going on at your home and take the following steps when submitting insurance claims:

1. Contact the insurance carrier to file a claim in a timely manner. For homeowners, your carrier may provide a list of contractors and offer advice on do-it-yourself tips to prevent further damage. If you're a renter, you should also inform your landlord or property management company.
2. Take pictures of the damage before disposal and cleanup.
3. Beware of price-gouging contractors and door-to-door scammers. Ask contractors for their license and insurance credentials to avoid fraud. If you're a renter, your landlord is responsible for the building and structure.
4. Prevent further damage to your property.
5. Don't do something you're not comfortable with/that doesn't look safe. Homeowners insurance has a condition to prevent further loss. Focus on a temporary fix instead of something long-term so insurance can properly access a permanent fix by a professional.

Homeowners in disaster-prone areas should focus on value-added services

Customer service is key for homeowners in disaster-prone areas. Homeowners need to understand the risks and have good coverage with an up-to-date policy.

Is your homeowners insurance provider communicating with you about how to evacuate and file claims when a disaster is coming? Is your provider transparent about your coverage? Is your insurance company proactively reaching out to assist you?

If your homeowners insurance company hasn't provided the level of service you expected, maybe it's time to select a new provider. Remember, a cheap price doesn't mean good customer service. Focus on customer satisfaction rankings, like those from J.D. Power.

Ronda Lee is an associate editor for insurance at Personal Finance Insider covering life, auto, homeowners, and renters insurance for consumers. She is also a licensed attorney who practiced litigation and insurance defense.

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