In your mind, water damage and flood damage probably sound like the same thing, since they both involve an intrusion of unwanted water into your home. But as far as insurance purposes are concerned, flood damage and water damage are quite different.
Flood damage happens when water that originates from a natural disaster (think a heavy rain event) comes into your home through flash flooding or a sump pump failure. On the other hand, water damage usually happens when there’s a problem with your plumbing, like an overflowing washing machine or a backed-up toilet.
What to Know About Water Damage
You may experience water damage because of a plumbing issue or burst pipe. The damage from these events, whether it happens because of an appliance that doesn’t drain right or a piping issue, can be severe and impact your home’s contents as well as your walls, flooring, drywall, carpeting, and more.
What to Know About Flood Damage
Defining exactly what falls under the category of flood damage is slightly more complex. In general, flood damage is defined as damage to your home because of a natural disaster or sudden flooding event. This can happen because of a flash flood or when you don’t have a proper slope away from your home for stormwater runoff, for example. But if heavy rains result in a leaky roof, this is usually viewed as water damage, not flood damage.
Water Damage, Flood Damage, and Insurance
Your homeowner’s insurance policy probably already covers water damage, but your policy may not cover flood damage. Depending on your insurer and where you live, you may be able to tack on additional coverage to your policy to cover flood damage events.
Whether you experience flood damage or water damage, the results can be disastrous and take time to recover from. Emergency Restoration Xperts (ERX) makes the process easier by tackling the problem early on, preventing compounding damage, and employing strategies that help you quickly get on the path to recovery.
