Is Your Columbia SC Home Insured Against Meteorites?

If a Meteorite were to hit your Columbia SC home, does your insurance cover that?
It’s been an odd time lately for Earth and celestial objects. A 10-ton meteorite crashed into the earth and exploded near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, injuring hundreds and causing widespread panic. Meanwhile, a 143,000-ton asteroid passed just 17,000 miles away from Earth on February 15th, a little too close for comfort.

NASA scientist Don Yeomans recently noted that a basketball size object hits the earth’s atmosphere every day. This may have you wondering how a meteor shower or asteroid collision could theoretically affect your family or your Columbia SC home.

If a meteorite crashes through your roof, the damage to your Columbia SC home and belongings would generally be covered by your standard homeowner’s insurance policy, according to the Insurance Information Institute, a consumer education organization funded by the insurance industry.

Meteorites are classified as a falling object, one of the many “named perils” for which insurance companies cover personal property damage. Other odd perils include a volcanic eruption, a riot, and a falling airplane. In fact, you’re covered if your Columbia SC home is hit by “blue ice”, which is the frozen discharge that comes from airplane lavatories. (This might be a fate worse than a meteor crash).

While you’re most likely covered if a space rock hits your Columbia SC home directly, things would be more complicated (in a lot of ways, obviously) if an Armageddon-sized asteroid like the one cruising near Earth on February 15th entered your neighborhood. Standard insurance policies only cover personal property damage in your Columbia SC home if the falling object blasts directly through your roof or your walls. If an asteroid slams into the Earth a mile away from your Columbia SC home and your prized art deco sculptures tumble to the ground and shatter, insurance isn’t likely going to cover it. It has to be a direct hit.

The rules for meteors are actually no different than for a much more common falling object: trees. Your car would also be insured in this instance of cosmically bad luck, assuming you have comprehensive auto insurance.

For more timely insurance articles and information, check out our Columbia SC Insurance section under the Columbia SC Real Estate Categories to your right.