Punishing winter weather has triggered flooding and mudslides across the greater Bay Area the past week, prompting evacuation orders and damaging homes. But some homeowners trying to file insurance claims in the wake of the storms may be surprised to find they’re not covered.
That’s because while most home insurance plans account for rain and wind damage — such as a blown-over tree crashing onto your roof — the policies generally don’t cover floods, mudslides or debris flows.
“I think many people are going be in a situation where they might have a landslide or even flooding, and they may be out of luck when it comes to coverage,” said Kami Cady, personal lines manager with Cassidy Insurance Agency in Scotts Valley near Santa Cruz.
