When the lights went out, most San Diegans quickly learned that they weren’t necessarily prepared for a power outage. Although it was short lived, another occurrence is always a likely possibility. Hopefully by now you have a plan of action in place along with an assortment of emergency supplies.
One of the most common shockers during the outage was how dependent we are on our food and water supplies. Supermarkets across the county were forced to shut down so they could dispose of questionable food product, as their refrigerators were inoperable for a number of hours. Consumers were also forced to dispose of spoiled foods, costing a lot of money to replace the perished items. Most insured’s are unaware that their home policy may provide coverage for foods damaged by a power outage. The majority of polices will pay up to $500 for spoilage of food (subject to a $100 deductible), as long as you can provide an accurate list of the food items lost. There is also coverage available for damage to an appliance due to the outage, as long as you added the Appliance Breakdown Endorsement to your policy.
If you have any questions as to how your policy responds to a power outage, please contact our office at the numbers below:
San Diego Homeowner’s Insurance: 760-795-2002
Riverside Homeowner’s Insurance: 951-296-6833
For additional information on how to prepare for a power outage the American Red Cross has some great resources.
