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As you know, a home is more than just a major financial investment. Your home provides you and your family with shelter from the dangers of severe weather. Our goal in this guide is to help you ensure that your home is as safe and strong as it can be, and that your insurance coverage is sufficient to protect you and your belongings inside.

With these goals in mind, and as part of our ongoing commitment to safeguard families and homes from disasters, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. (FLASH®), in partnership with The Actuarial Foundation, is pleased to provide you with this informational resource that promotes safety and the financial security that comes from being properly insured.

As you know, homeownership comes with many responsibilities, the most important of which is protecting the financial investment you’ve made in your home. In this guide, you will learn about the major weather perils that threaten your property. You’ll gain a better understanding of different insurance products and forms, which vary for different types of disasters. And you will learn many steps you can take to mitigate potential losses from natural disasters.

This guide is designed to help you answer these important questions:
  • What coverages are appropriate for my living arrangement?
  • Who sells these coverages?
  • What coverages do I need to purchase? Are they available?
  • What perils are covered in the policy I purchase?
  • What is the proper amount of insurance to purchase?
  • Are there steps I can take to lower my premium?
Hopefully you will never have a reason to file a homeowners insurance claim. But should that day come, we want you, your family, and your belongings to be safe and covered.

Sincerely,






The Actuarial Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 1994 to help facilitate and broaden the profession’s contribution to society. The Foundation explores innovative ways to apply actuarial skills in the public interest and brings together broad partnerships of individuals and organizations to address social problems in creative ways.


The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. (FLASH®) is an award-winning coalition of government agencies, professional associations, and private industry committed to strengthening homes, safeguarding families, and protecting economic well-being by promoting disaster preparedness.

©Copyright 2021 by Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc. (FLASH®) and The Actuarial Foundation.