Water Damage vs Flood Damage: What’s the Difference?
Water Damage vs Flood Damage: What’s the Difference?
Published on July 27, 2021. EST READ TIME: 2.5 minutes
Nobody wants to bear witness to water damage, in any form whatsoever! But then, when do we ever have a choice regarding the plunder that gets inflicted upon us? Water damage as we know it isn’t a straightforward issue to address as the nature of loss and even the factors leading to it are also of importance.
Water damage might be something as simple as a plumbing issue, HVAC concern, or an unhindered flow caused by a malfunctioning washing machine. Or, it can be something more natural like a hurricane, downpour, or even a flood. Regardless of inception, water damage needs to be addressed with immediate attention, preferably by replacing almost everything that comes in its contact.
But then, replacing flooring, drywall, and other affected components isn’t the cause for concern. It is the cost that sets you back, which is why getting the right home insurance plan becomes all the more important.
Nevertheless, before we jump right into this explanatory discussion, it is important to talk about water damage and flood damage in detail, whilst understanding the difference between the two. Also, once we understand the dissimilarities, it becomes easier to select the appropriate home insurance in India, depending on the risks that need to be covered for.
What is Water Damage?
Defining water damage, from the perspective of the insurer, is easy and doesn’t require a lot of brainstorming. It can often be something as simple as a leaking pipe and inconsequential plumbing problem, or a more intricate issue concerning home appliances, like the refrigerator, washing machine, or even the air conditioner.
Water damage, in most cases, is often a leak gone wrong and typically accidental in nature. Also, if you are concerned about the heavy rains and the plunder caused by the same, the damage often qualifies as water damage provided it is inflicted by the running water, preferably in real-time.
Still unsure as to what covers water damages! Here are the effects to be mindful of:
- Overflowing bathroom sink
- Sudden pipe bursts while the mercury dips beyond usual
- A leaky roof caused by incessant rainfall
- Rotting wood over time with the drywalls being affected by water seepages
What is Flood Damage?
Unlike water damage, it is slightly trickier to describe mutilation caused by a flood. To be precise, any natural phenomenon that builds in time to assume a torrent can be termed as the cause of flood damage. But then, didn’t we categorize the destruction caused by rain as water damage!
Yes, we did and it might sound counterintuitive to blame the rain or storm for the flood that causes the damage. To be precise, a natural cause like rain, storm, or hurricane that damages your property with the flow or due to the water percolating into the floor, attic, or patio, can be categorized as a cause for water damage.
Flood damage is something less transient as for it to occur, the water needs to accumulate and gush in, all at once. This happens when the rainwater cannot run down the slope and overflows into homes, commercial properties, farms, and other establishments, albeit with perilous effects.
Plus, flood damage can often be termed as a broader form of abomination, capable of being caused by tidal and inland overflow, mudflow, landslides, and even water build-up that exceeds the usual, cyclical levels.
Looking for other reasons that qualify as flooding! Here are some of the more common ones:
- Surface runoffs
- Abrupt melting of ice or accumulated snow
- Rainwater accumulation and hasty release
How do Water and Flood Damages Differ?
As for the differences, water damages are often induced whereas destruction caused by floods is often unabated and forced with us having minimal control over the extent of the same. Also, the purview of flood damage is more widespread and often involves two or even more properties. This means, while water damage might only affect your home or office, the ravages caused by a flood are also expected to affect other houses in the neighbourhood.
In addition to the differences in terms of devastation, water and flood damages can be segregated as per the home insurance plan you choose to buy.
What is covered by Home Insurance in India?
Irrespective of the nature of the damage, it eventually comes down to the claims that you would want to elevate as the insured and an ideal way would be to get yourself acquainted with the features of your policy and all the inclusions in detail. For instance, some home insurance India planscover only water damages for the issues caused by the non-preventive hazards while some offer holistic cover for rental habitat as well, and include home contents in their all-round coverage.
What remains debatable is the water damage concern arising out of maintenance issues or rather loopholes that could have been avoided. The home insurance policy offered by HDFC ERGO covers flood-specific damages, and that is important especially for homeowners in the coastal regions and heavy rainfall areas.
Conclusion
It is advisable to purchase a standard, all-inclusive homeowner’s insurance policy that insures against every kind of water damage and eventually supplement it with a rider that accounts for floods. Regardless of the home insurance plan you choose to go with for coverage against property damages caused by water, ensure that the plan offers comprehensive coverage and includes not only cover against flood damage but for the contents in your home too. HDFC ERGO has a trusted legacy of decades in providing the best insurance solutions that offer an exhaustive coverage for policyholders, allowing them to live their life stress-free.
Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.
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