From Lincoln, to the Decatur Celebration to The Informant, Decatur-"the Soybean Capital of the World"-is rich in history and culture for a city its size. And like all Illinois cities, Decatur has enough weather related events to keep its residents on their feet year-round. Tornados, floods, high winds, hail, freezing rain, even the possibility of earthquakes makes having the right insurance that much more important. And shopping for Decatur insurance quotes is simple with the right tools. First, a weather overview.
A Weather Refresher
Illinois has on average five severe winter storms-sometimes as many as 18-every year. And the part of Illinois that includes Decatur has more freezing rain and ice storms than any other part of the state. Nasty winters for sure. Then there are tornadoes like the massive F3 that hit Decatur in 1996 and the 52 that touched down in Illinois in 2009. And with tornadoes usually come hail, sometimes the size of quarters. Not to be outdone, Lake Decatur is always a looming flood presence.
Fortunately, in 2010, the Macon County Regional Planning Commission was taking proposals for a hazard mitigation plan that would identify and mitigate risk areas for floods and tornadoes. But that's just on paper right now. You need something concrete when shopping for Decatur insurance quotes.
Homeowner's Tools: Asking Questions
Look at your homeowner's policy, or if you're still shopping for one, here are some questions. Do you have a separate flood policy? Standard homeowner's policies do not cover flood damage. You can buy a policy for up to $250,000 to cover the structure and up to $100,000 to cover your contents. If there was a flood and your home was uninhabitable, where would you live? Look for policies that cover additional living expenses.
If you have valuables (jewelry, artwork, Polka album collection) you will probably need additional coverage usually called a "rider". Does your policy cover sewage and drain back-up? Find out if an insurer covers "actual cash value"-the amount to repair or replace items after depreciation-or "replacement cost" which replaces or repairs as close as possible to the original without considering depreciation. This will help you determine how much coverage you would need.
Decatur Insurance Quotes: Car Tools
Most of the above weather conditions should also be considered when shopping for Decatur insurance quotes for your car. First, Illinois requires the following minimum coverage:
- $20,000 - injury or death of one person in an accident
- $40,000 - injury or death of more than one person in an accident
- $15,000 - damage to property of another person
This coverage is essentially if you're at-fault in an accident. If Mother Nature is at-fault, you need additional coverage called comprehensive. This typically covers things like fire, theft, flood, hail, earthquake, windstorm, and vandalism. To lower your overall premium, ask about discounts for things like anti-lock brakes, airbags, automatic seatbelts, good grades, over 55, anti-theft devices or combining multiple (home, cars) policies.
Shopping for Decatur Insurance Quotes
Yes, living in Decatur brings a diversity of insurance related considerations. But now that you have a few extra tools at your disposal, you need a toolbox to put them in. Make NetQuote your toolbox. NetQuote allows you to search hundreds of insurers at once to find the best product at the most competitive price. It's free and easy.
