Storm damage woes: What insurance does not cover

After severe storms downed power lines, uprooted trees, and did lots of damage to yards, homes, garages, decks and fences, many homeowners have been left wondering who is going to pay for all of the damages? Read your insurance policy carefully. Not all costs are covered by homeowners insurance. "For homeowners they need to know that their homeowner's insurance typically covers damage to their home and the cost to remove the tree from their home," said Mark Kulda, vice president of public affairs for the Insurance Frederation of Minnesota. "But it does not cover the cost to remove the tree from your premises or to replace the tree." And what if a neighbor's tree falls on to your property or does damage to your home? Lots of area homeowners have found themselves in this type of situation over the past few days and may be confused about who is liable. "The bottom line is that you are responsible for your own property, so it really doesn't matter whose tree falls on your house," said Kulda. "If it's your tree or your neighbor's tree, your own homeowners insurance is gonna cover the cost to remove the tree and repair your home. Beyond that though, the part of the tree that's on your property is your responsibility even if its your neighbor's tree." Experts estimate that the costs to both homeowners, insurers and cities for cleanup from Friday and Saturday's storms will be about $100 million. Red Cross Opens Shelter The American Red Cross opened a storm shelter at Armstrong High School Wednesday night, to provide a safe place, food and an air-conditioned place to stay for anyone who is still without power or has had damage to their home. Xcel estimated on Wednesday that there were just under three thousand households without power. Carissa Wyant http://www.ccxmedia.org/   / ccxmedia.org     / ccxnews   12 News is on Comcast cable channel 12 in the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis and includes the cities Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.