When people think of reasons to purchase home insurance, they think of fires, floods, break-ins, and, more recently- earthquakes. However, one consideration is missing among these: Apocalypse.

Apocalypses can come in a variety of different flavors. Some are a zombie apocalypse, an alien invasion, a mad scientist creating some creature or disease – the classic science fiction scenarios. You also have more realistic ones, like a nuclear apocalypse, a societal collapse (mad max style), or a meteor hitting the earth.

Science Fiction

The science fiction genre of an apocalypse will be the hardest to navigate, mainly because these situations are so unpredictable. Each scenario has its unique set of variables that can affect the various insurance claims.

If there is a zombie apocalypse, there will be a lot of life insurance claims. This is also mirrored if some deadly artificial disease is released into the population. There will be property damage claims. However, this will be due to the panic that ensues rather than the problem itself.

Now an alien invasion is an entirely new ordeal! If aliens decide to invade, not only will there be a massive loss of life, but there will be massive amounts of property damage.

Realistic Scenarios

Let us talk about nuclear implications. Now to our knowledge, there are no home insurance policies that cover atomic fallout.

A nuclear apocalypse shares many of the same issues as a societal one. If society completely implodes, there will not be insurance brokers or companies around (at least not in their current capacity).

There will most likely be certain people that will insure you, but who knows if you can trust them? They will probably act more like loan sharks than trusted insurance companies.

Last but not least- a meteor hitting the earth does present a set of different variables than the previous scenarios. However, a meteor will cause property damage only to those in the blast zone. The main issue with a meteor is how much ash, smoke, or debris is ejected into the atmosphere.

There are too many to go into with the short time we have for this article.

Checklist

Having a checklist for when an apocalypse happens could be the difference between life and death. (This list may help you for natural disasters too!)

• Water Purifier

Getting a good water purifier is a must for survival, and water is the key to life. Luckily in this day and age, you can buy a water purifier for under $50 that will last you years if not damaged. This gives you time to set up a more official water collector.

• Food

As with water, food is the other 100% item needed to survive. Like a water filter, it is now easy to buy MREs (Meal, Ready-to-Eat). Now unlike water purifiers, they are a good amount more costly. However, purchasing is still necessary, so you have a few weeks to find a more sustainable way to collect food.

• First Aid Kit

A first aid kit is needed in any house, regardless of the situation. The difference is that if you do not have a first aid kit during regular times, there are plenty of places to buy what you need. During an apocalypse, you do not have the same resources. A first aid kit is almost on the same level of importance as food and water.

• Tools

There are some essential tools you will need to help you survive. Two basic tools are a hunting knife and an axe, which will help you prepare any meat you can catch, and an axe is for creating a shelter of trees and general self-defense.

CONTACT US

Unfortunately, apocalyptic situations cannot be predicted. Many issues arise when a significant event occurs that affects how everyone lives. In a disaster, you want to know that the company insuring your house has financial resources. This is why we have large, financially secure insurers to compete for your business—companies like Aviva, Economical, Family Insurance, Intact, Travelers, and Wawanesa.

While we do not provide any “apocalypse coverage” at Harbord – The Home Insurance People™, we offer you a great place to shop for home insurance quotes. Visit here to check for quotes online or contact us by phone at 1.844.544.4663 or email at [email protected].