Worried Hawaii homeowners ask: Am I covered for volcanos?
Now Deter and her family, along others who have recently lost homes to the lava-spewing mountain, are on an urgent quest for answers about insurance, desperate to learn whether their coverage will offer any help after molten rock wiped out most of what they owned.
The eruption has destroyed about two dozen homes in the
Because the community sits in a zone deemed by the
But homeowners are not without options. One possibility is the
The horror of seeing houses turned to ash has motivated some people who went without insurance to scramble to purchase a policy. The association announced last week that it would issue policies to uninsured homeowners in the affected area — but they will have to wait six months.
Some homeowners believe fire coverage will suffice for homes burned by fire from the lava. And a list of frequently asked questions from the Hawaii Insurance Division supports that idea, saying that lava damage may be covered "as a fire peril."
However, there are exceptions.
"The cause of damage is lava at the end of the day," she said. "If lava came down the hill, and they have lava exclusion and trees catch fire, which burn the house, that's not covered."
Some homeowners forgo policies that include lava coverage because they can cost more than
The same insurance questions haunt people whose homes are standing but could still be torched by future lava flows.
Corrigan said the most stressful part of the experience might be the uncertainty about what insurance will cover. His policy will pay for damage from a fire but not from lava. His insurer also cautioned him that it will not cover damage if he has not been at home for 30 days. That requirement could be a problem if he is gone for a long time.
"You have to worry about that stress when you're trying to deal with everything else," Corrigan said.
Coverage details vary depending on policies and companies, said Insurance Division Commissioner
The company's policies do cover fire from volcanic activity, she said, "but every claim has to be handled on its own merit. Every claim has to be looked at individually and separately."
Deter's daughters live in the same area as their 88-year-old mother. They know the eruption risks, so they made sure their mother's home was covered by a policy that included lava.
The family's
"I'm like, 'What?'" Pruitt said. "I'm laughing hysterically. But it's not funny. It's tragic."
They were waiting for a follow-up call they hoped would provide more clarity.
Associated Press Writer
Firefighting mothers pull double duty in Colorado Springs
Pritzker signs pledge not to diminish abortion rights
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News