Alaska: Your Need for Renters Insurance
Did you realize that most apartment communities' insurance coverage only insures damage to the apartment building, leaving your belongings uninsured? Renters Insurance offers protection for your personal property when theft, fire or a natural disaster occurs. Between the years of 1976 and 2004, Alaska had 14 declared major disasters, ranking Alaska among the top twenty states in number of major disaster declarations. But Renters Insurance does even more to protect you, as it also can cover your liability if someone is injured in your home.
Can you imagine trying to replace your personal possessions out of your pocket? Or paying hundreds, maybe even thousands, of dollars in doctor bills if a friend hurts themselves while in your home? Do not wait to realize the importance of Renters Insurance until it is too late. The affordable premium is well worth the peace of mind.
Learn more about prominent risks in Alaska:
Theft
U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that rented households were burglarized at rates 79 percent higher than owned households. In 2001, the bureau reported that rented households experienced 210 property crimes per 1,000 households nationwide, while owned households experienced only 146 property crimes per 1,000 households. In 2004 alone, 513,266 burglaries occurred in the West according to statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. As you can see, the most common threat to an apartment unit in the nation, as well as in Alaska, is burglary. Unfortunately, your apartment community's insurance policy does not cover your personal belongings lost due to theft. And don't let fences or gates at your community mislead you to think it is safer. On most low-crime properties, the main purpose of gates or fences for apartment properties is to provide the sense of exclusivity and privacy.
Fire
Fire is a risk in all states, including Alaska. The U.S. Fire Administration reports that direct property loss due to fires was estimated at $9.8 billion in 2004. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, apartment fires accounted for 23 percent of residential fires between 1992 and 2001 as well as accounted for 20 percent of the dollar loss from residential fires during these years. With these kinds of statistics, it is better to be prepared and protect your property from this risk.
Earthquakes
Impossible to predict, earthquakes can cause significant damage to your property. Earthquakes occur frequently in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Oregon. In 1994, the Northridge earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley region of Southern California. Although it was considered a moderately strong earthquake, the $20 billion in property damage ranked it the costliest seismic disaster in U.S. history.
Blizzards
Blizzards can severely impact most of the Midwest and Northeast region of the United States, as well as Alaska. A major blizzard struck portions of the Midwest on January 1999, producing 22 inches of snow in Chicago. The storm was rated by the National Weather Service as the second worst blizzard of the 20th century, ranking behind the blizzard in January 1967. The surrounding areas within Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio experienced over 15 inches of snow. In 1996, a blizzard piled on 20 inches of snow in New York City, and damage costs estimated $1 billion to the New York area.
Wildfires
Wildfires are a threat in Alaska, as well as a risk to all of the United States. Wildfires consume thousands of acres of land, threatening the apartments, homes, and lives of many in the vicinity. An average of five million acres burn every year in the United States, causing billions of dollars in damage. According to the National Fire Protection Center, wildfires that occurred in Southern California in October and November of 1993 resulted in an estimated $809 million in property damage.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storm. Although tornadoes affect all states in the nation, including Alaska, they highly impact Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida and Nebraska. Surrounding areas of Norman, Oklahoma had over 473 apartments destroyed and damaged 568 apartments. The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration reports about 1,000 tornadoes across the United States in an average year. The ‘Tornado Alley’ extends roughly from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians and from Iowa and Nebraska to the Gulf of Mexico. |
