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7951 E. Maplewood Avenue, Suite 110
Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
Serving Colorado, New Mexico, Utah & Wyoming
Contact:
Carole Walker, Executive Director
303-790-0216 or toll free 800-355-9524
Deadly Oklahoma Twister is a Tragic Reminder that the Unthinkable Can Happen: Tomorrow Marks the Five-Year Anniversary of the Windsor Tornado—Colorado's Most Damaging Tornado.
May 21, 2013 – The tornado that has resulted in at least two dozen deaths and devastated the community of Moore, Oklahoma, is a stark reminder of the horrific damage tornadoes can leave in their path. Since 1960, four people have been killed by Colorado tornadoes, and one of those by the twister that tore through Windsor on May 22, 2008. The Windsor Tornado is Colorado's most damaging, causing insured losses totaling $206.9 million in today's dollars.
For more information:
http://www.rmiia.org/Catastrophes_and_Statistics/tornado.asp
http://www.rmiia.org/Catastrophes_and_Statistics/catastrophes.asp
A Wake-Up Call to Check Insurance
A standard homeowner's insurance policy covers damage from strong winds and tornadoes. Cars are covered if you carry optional "comprehensive" coverage on your policy.
"We are in severe weather and wildfire season in Colorado when tornadoes, damaging hail, flooding and wildfires most often occur and with very little warning," says Carole Walker, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. "Now is the time to be thinking about how much insurance protection you have to repair or rebuild your home and replace your personal belongings and vehicles."
RMIIA recommends that you take these preventative steps:
DO AN ANNUAL INSURANCE CHECK-UP
Insurance is something most people don't even want to think about until they need it the most. But, understanding what is and isn't covered in your homeowners' insurance policy can mean the difference of being able to rebuild your home and replace your personal belongings.
- Homeowners need to do annual insurance policy "check-ups" to make sure they keep up with local building costs and have adjusted their coverage to include home remodeling and additions. That's the cost to rebuild in today's dollars NOT the market value of your property.
- If you don't have replacement coverage, consider spending a few extra dollars for coverage that pays for the cost of replacing the damaged property without deduction for depreciation. Ask about "law and ordinance" coverage to keep up with building code upgrades and how long your "additional living expenses" (ALE) extend to live elsewhere.
KNOW WHAT IS & ISN'T COVERED
- The typical homeowners' insurance policy covers damage resulting from fire, windstorm, hail, water damage (excluding flooding), riots and explosion as well as other causes of loss, such as theft and the extra cost of living elsewhere while the structure is being repaired or rebuilt.
- Your policy also covers your legal liability (up to policy limits) if you, members of your family or even your pets hurt other people or their property, not just in your house, but away from it, as well. If you have a lot of assets to protect, you may want to consider an umbrella policy that offers increased protection against lawsuits.
- The standard policy does not cover flooding, so you may want to look into flood insurance coverage if you're concerned that you're at risk for rising floodwaters.
- Damage caused by natural perils such as wind, hail, flooding and fire is only covered if you have optional comprehensive coverage on your auto policy.
CREATE A HOME INVENTORY
- Make a home inventory that includes lists, pictures or a videotape of the contents of your home or apartment. After all, would you be able to remember all the possessions you've accumulated over the years if they were destroyed by a tornado or fire? Having an up-to-date home inventory will help get your insurance claim settled faster, verify losses for your income tax return and help you purchase the correct amount of insurance.
- It's easy to get overwhelmed, but RMIIA has free software that you can download to help simplify the process! You can even add digital photos and scan in receipts, along with your room-by-room online inventory. Log on to www.rmiia.org for free home inventory software or a sample home inventory. Ask your insurance company about resources they have to help you document—many now have technology to help develop and store inventories.
For more consumer information on insurance topics, logon to www.rmiia.org.
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Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association is a non-profit consumer information organization. Affiliated with the Insurance Information Institute, RMIIA has been serving consumers and the media since 1952.
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