Needed clauses in homeowners insurance for houses in disaster-prone areas

What is the strangest thing you can imagine happening to your house? Burglary; someone festooning the balcony with toilet paper; or – maybe it's vandalizing little elves and leprechauns in your garden? If you live in Atlanta, Ga., nature can mess with your most prized possession in ways that even experienced vandals can't outdo. While there is the usual fire, the menu of natural calamities for people living in disaster-prone areas is diverse, which is why houses in Atlanta are usually covered for 'open peril' emergencies.

An open peril homeowners insurance policy enables people to file for insurance anything that a regular policy does not cover - quite the opposite of the usual 'named exclusions' policy. In a named exclusions policy, a certain number of eventualities are listed and covered. So, if repair crews from UFOs or ghosts (more commonly reported than you'd think) steal the shingles off your roof then you're simply out of luck.

There are also some real-life scenarios to consider, in case 2012 doomsday predictions come to fruition.

Floods - According to FloodSafety.com, flash floods kill 200 Americans every year. Yet, the common house owner might not even consider it. The solution: ask your agent to put it in.

Sinkholes - The ominously cool 'earth movements' clause mentions sinkhole collapse. Find out if your area is prone to sinkholes to avoid getting buried.

Space Debris - Yes, from outer space. The 'falling objects' heading covers this gem of a situation.

Landslides - The 'Difference in Conditions' coverage clause covers landslides, which aren't included with earthquake coverage.

Volcanoes - You're covered for damage by lava and ash. Tremors, however, need the aforementioned earthquake insurance coverage.

Hurricane Damage - If your house is swept away in a freak hurricane-powered wave, you might not be covered by hurricane insurance coverage - there's flood coverage for that.

It's really quite simple. If you live in or are moving to an accident-prone area, don't think twice before upgrading your homeowners insurance policy to includes the open peril clause. It always pays to invest in your safety.