“Protect Your Home: Importance of Natural Disaster Insurance and Coverage”

Natural disaster: definition

According to INSEE, a natural disaster is characterized “by the abnormal intensity of a natural agent (flood, mudslide, earthquake, avalanche, drought, etc.) when the usual measures to be taken to prevent these damage could not prevent their occurrence or could not be taken”.

It is an interministerial decree which establishes the state of natural disaster, “thus allowing the compensation of the damage directly caused to the insured goods, under the terms of the law of July 13, 1982, relating to the compensation of the victims of natural disasters” .

What is the “Natural disasters” guarantee?

Once the interministerial decree recognizing the state of natural or technological disaster has been published in the Official Journal, it is up to you to declare the claim to your insurer as soon as possible. The natural disaster guarantee is not part of the basic contracts but it is offered in the multi-risk home contracts.

There is also a “Storm, hail, snow” guarantee, called “Climate events” guarantee. The latter concerns hail, the direct action of the wind, the weight of snow, humidity due to rain… The scope of the “Climate events” guarantee may vary from one insurer to another or according to the formula. chosen. Find out!

Natural disaster: how to be well covered for your accommodation?

The “Natural disasters” guarantee is mandatory and therefore automatically included in any multi-risk home contract. It is therefore a legal, regulated guarantee. To properly cover your home against natural disasters, you should therefore take out the multi-risk home policy that best suits your needs. Do not hesitate to compare the offers, thanks to the online comparators.

If you can no longer live in your home that was destroyed by a storm or swept away by a mudslide, your insurer can cover the costs of relocation when the insurance contract provides cover for relocation or caretaking costs. Do not leave anything to chance and check this point.

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How does natural disaster insurance work?

Do not waste time: send the request for compensation to your insurance company or to the insurance broker who manages your contracts at the latest 10 working days after the publication of the decree in the Official Journal, by registered letter, from preferably with acknowledgment of receipt.

Do not forget to indicate in your letter various elements: your surname, first name and address; the number of your insurance contract; the description of the incident (nature, date, time, place); the encrypted list of all lost or damaged objects as well as the associated invoices or photographs proving their existence; damage caused to third parties, if applicable. Above all, do not throw away damaged objects, which may be claimed by the insurer or the expert sent.

The insurance must pay you a provision on your indemnities within 2 months following the date of delivery of the estimate of the damaged goods or losses suffered, and the indemnity within 3 months.

What deductible in the event of a natural disaster?

You are compensated only for the goods covered by your contract, and within the limit of the guarantee ceilings. When the natural disaster guarantee comes into play, a legal deductible applies, modulated according to the nature of the damaged goods (sum which will therefore remain your responsibility). For personal property, the deductibles are €380 for homes or any other property for non-professional use; and €1,520 if the damage is attributable to a landslide following drought or rehydration of the soil.