A lot has changed since the Pony Express started in St. Joe back in 1860. It's grown from a town of 8,000 to a modern city pushing 80,000. But it's a city that has honored its past with its Pony Express sesquicentennial celebration in 2010, its preservation of the Jesse James Home Museum (where the infamous outlaw was shot by that coward Robert Ford) and its annual Trails West festival. What hasn't changed much since the old days is the often unpredictable weather that Missourians face. You have to be on your toes around here. That's why you need to do your homework when shopping for St. Joseph insurance quotes. You need to be prepared for anything. Let's see why.
Weathering the Storms in St. Joe
From the Great Flood of 1993 to the tornado that ripped through St. Joe in 2008, seemingly anything can happen. Sadly, residents aren't always prepared. That 2008 tornado demolished the house of a family of 11 with no insurance. And many more families' homes are still unprotected from flooding. Flood insurance is never included with a homeowner's policy. Are you covered? You must ask your agent about a separate flood "rider" where pricing (anywhere from $175 to 2,000) is determined by a number of factors.
What about those twisters? Historical data for St. Joe says that the area is above average for Missouri which is above average for the rest of the country. In fact, it's 183% greater than the overall U.S. average-not very comforting. Though most standard policies cover for tornadoes, you should consider the value of your home. Has the cost to rebuild greatly diminished since you first insured it because of the downturn in the housing market? Or did you, like hundreds of other St. Joe residents, make improvements ($8.4 million worth in 2007) to your home that would increase the value? These are important considerations when shopping for St. Joseph insurance quotes.
Insuring Your Car
In addition to your home, think about your car. Some of the same weather events that can impact your home can create havoc on your car. Missouri law requires the following minimum auto insurance coverage:
- $25,000 per person for bodily injury
- $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
- $10,000 per accident for property
But the truth is this probably isn't enough because it only protects you when you're "at-fault". What about when Mother Nature is "at-fault"? You're going to need Comprehensive coverage that covers things like flooding, hail, tornadoes, and fire. Luckily, even with all these extra natural concerns, Missourians still pay less for auto coverage than most of the country. And for even lower rates, consider a car with anti-lock brakes, airbags, automatic seatbelts, and an anti-theft system.
Shopping for St. Joseph Insurance Quotes
To truly find the lowest St. Joseph insurance quotes out there, you'll need a partner to round-up as much information as possible. That partner is NetQuote. NetQuote will search from hundreds of insurers based on your needs to find the lowest quotes out there. It's free, easy and allows you to comparison shop from your computer.
