My house flooded during Hurricane Helene and now I have black mold. Will my insurance cover mold removal?
Seeing mold inside your home can be very disturbing. Worse, mold can not only leave a bad smell, but cause serious health problems for you and your family members.
And after Hurricane Helene, many homeowners may be dealing with water damage that quickly causes mold and mildew.
You may be wondering if your homeowners insurance covers mold damage. And in general cases, it depends on the cause of the fungus.
But in the case of mold from storm water damage, you may be out of luck unless you meet the criteria for a specific federal disaster relief program.
Generally, your homeowners insurance can cover damage and mold removal if something suddenly goes wrong in your home, such as a pipe bursting and flooding part of your home.
But your policy won't pay for mold removal in cases where it was neglected – like you failed to address a leaky shower that you've known about for months, and the water seeps into the ceiling beneath it and causes mold.
All told, you will need to review your homeowners insurance policy to see if the cause of mold is a covered risk. Otherwise, your insurance will refuse to pay for the damage, and understandably so.
You should also know that if your home floods due to storm and mold damage, that is not covered under your home owners insurance policy. It may, however, be covered under separate flood insurance if you have it and take immediate action to prevent mold growth. But it may depend on the provider.
For example, even National Insurance Plan flood insurance policies do not cover mold damage. It is only through the individual and family program that a person can receive financial assistance to repair the mold caused by the disaster. And this break is only available if FEMA inspects your home and determines that it is physically unlivable.
That's why FEMA recommends that people document flooding and begin cleaning up as soon as possible if they can access their property to prevent more damage.
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