El Niño Extreme Weather Risk: How To Prepare and Protect Your Home

El Niño’s extreme weather risks come in the form of heavy rain and a higher probability of flooding, which can result in extensive damage to your home. Flood damage typically isn’t covered by standard home insurance, so avoiding unnecessary repair costs not only means safeguarding your home in advance but also ensuring you have the right policy to protect your house.

El Niño extreme weather risk can bring heavy rain and floods to areas that may not normally experience them, resulting in unexpected damage.

Homeowners should read on to learn about potential weather risks caused by El Niño, including what types of damage are covered, what requires additional coverage and how to prepare your home in advance.

On This Page

• 

  What Is El Niño?

• 

  Tips To Prepare Your Home for El Niño

• 

  Know Your Flood Risks Before El Niño Arrives

• 

  Does Homeowners Insurance Cover El Niño Damage?

• 

  Should You Buy Flood Insurance Before an El Niño Storm?

• 

  Create a Home Inventory Before El Niño

• 

  What To Do When an El Niño Storm Is Approaching

• 

  What To Do After El Niño Storm Damage

• 

  Preparing for El Niño Weather at a Glance

• 

  How To Review Your Home Insurance Before Storm Season

• 

  Frequently Asked Questions

What Is El Niño?

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a weather phenomenon in which the surface temperature of the eastern and southern Pacific Ocean rises above average, weakening trade winds. It is the warm counterpart to La Niña, which features cooler-than-average Pacific sea surface temperatures that strengthen trade winds. El Niño typically brings a drier, warmer climate to the northern U.S., while the Southwest and Gulf Coast typically see higher rainfall and a greater risk of flooding.^[1]

Fishermen from South America first coined the term El Niño in the 1600s, noticing that sudden changes in sea surface temperatures reduced fish catches and affected marine life. They called the phenomenon “El Niño de Navidad,” or “the Christ Child” in Spanish, as El Niño typically peaks in December around Christmas.^[1][2]

How Can El Niño Affect Your Home?

While no two El Niños are the same, the phenomenon can often bring heavier rain and flooding, particularly to the southeastern U.S. and the West Coast, which can damage your home. Stronger-than-normal Pacific storms can severely damage your roof due to high winds, knocking trees and debris onto your roof. El Niño events can also cause cold snaps that freeze pipes, which may be more dangerous in areas not accustomed to them.^[3]

When Is El Niño Season?

El Niño occurs every two to seven years, beginning to develop early in the year, between March and June, before peaking between November and February. However, El Niño conditions typically last long after the peak, extending nine months to a year afterward, and sometimes longer.^[1][4]

Where Does El Niño Affect the Most?

El Niño may result in climate variability across the U.S., but the type of weather can vary depending on where you live:^[5]

• Southwest and California: Likely to see more rain and snow during winter, potentially resulting in higher rates of flooding and mudslides.
• Texas and Oklahoma: May see reduced hail and tornado activity.
• North and Midwest regions: Likely milder winter temperatures with less snowfall.
• Pacific Northwest: Drier conditions, with higher levels of precipitation at low elevations.
• South and East Coast: May have reduced hurricane activity.

Tips To Prepare Your Home for El Niño

El Niño extreme weather risks can damage your home and lead to costly repairs. Below, we’ll cover a few tips on how you can prepare your home for El Niño.

Inspect Your Roof

El Niño can bring extreme weather events, including heavy rain and high winds, that can damage your roof and worsen existing problems. Inspect your roof annually, ideally before the El Niño season peaks, keeping an eye out for:^[5]

• Normal wear and tear
• Leaks into your home, including signs of water rings or mold spots on the inside
• Cracked shingles
• Wood dry rot
• Rust or pitting
• Broken or cracked flashing

Clean Gutters and Downspouts

Clean your gutters of debris, as trapped leaves and other obstructions can cause water to pool around your home and damage your foundation. Clogged gutters can also damage your roof, as backed-up rainwater can seep under your shingles and cause leaks or rot.^[6] Keeping your downspouts clean and ensuring they move water away from your home can also prevent pooling.

Check Your Property's Drainage

Water from heavy El Niño rains could lead to pooling on your property, so you’ll want to ensure that water flows through drainage channels and into nearby exterior drains rather than pooling in the soil around your home’s foundation. Keep these lines clear of debris, as you would with your gutters. If you’ve had issues with drainage in the past, it may be worth hiring a professional to evaluate your property.^[7]

Inspect Windows, Doors and Exterior Seals

Review the sealant around windows, doors and exterior seals, which can crack or separate over time and let in moisture from El Niño weather events that could lead to mold. Remove any old caulk and replace it with a fresh layer.^[8]

Trim Trees and Secure Outdoor Property

Check your trees for any dead, weak, or dying branches, which can easily snap off and become debris in heavy storm winds. Pay special attention to branches growing close to your home, driveway or nearby power lines, as these may need to be removed. If an entire tree shows signs of decay or rot, strongly consider having it removed before storm season to reduce the risk of it collapsing onto your roof, driveway or vehicle.

Secure or remove outdoor furniture and other property to prevent them from being blown around in a storm. This can include garbage containers, lawn chairs, plants or decorations. Place them inside your garage or shed, or secure them to the ground so they cannot be moved.

Protect Vulnerable Utilities and Appliances

Elevate any outdoor utilities, such as air conditioning condensers or heat pumps, at least a foot above ground level to help them avoid potential flood damage. If your home uses an outdoor fuel tank, attach it to a large slab to prevent a potential flood from sweeping it away, or use ground anchors with straps to hold it in place.^[9]

Utilities and appliances in basements or other rooms below ground level could be at risk of water damage if there’s a flood and should likewise be raised at least a foot above ground.^[9]

Prepare for Outages

Outages may occur during an El Niño storm, so be sure you’ve stocked up on backup power sources, including portable generators, power banks and battery-powered devices, like radios and flashlights. If you use a generator, operate it outdoors and away from windows to prevent carbon monoxide fumes from entering your home.^[10] An emergency kit can help ensure you and your family have the equipment and supplies you need to last through an outage, which can sometimes last several days or longer.

Know Your Flood Risks Before El Niño Arrives

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designates areas into three flood-risk categories: low, moderate and high. Your area’s risk is based on your property’s location, including flooding frequency, distance to flood sources and its elevation. The characteristics of your home, such as whether its foundation is at ground level, whether it has multiple floors and where you keep your appliances and utilities, also determine flood risk.^[11]

You can utilize FEMA’s Risk Level tool to determine your specific risk based on your ZIP code. While flood insurance is optional in low- and moderate-risk zones, those living in high-risk areas must purchase it.^[11]

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover El Niño Damage?

Homeowners insurance may cover some types of damage that could be caused by El Niño, but it depends on the type of damage and whether you have the correct supplemental insurance. Below, we’ll cover some of the common types of damage that could impact your home and whether homeowners insurance will cover it.

Storm Damage May Be Covered

Windstorms and hail damage are typically covered by homeowners insurance policies. This can include:^[12]

• Ripped-off shingles
• Broken doors and windows from flying projectiles
• Damaged siding
• Moisture damage caused by a wind-damaged roof or wall

Flood Damage Generally Isn’t Covered

Standard homeowners insurance typically excludes flood damage. However, you can purchase a federal flood insurance policy from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) if you live in a participating community. Otherwise, you can typically purchase flood coverage from a private insurance company.^[13]

Mudslides, Mudflows and Debris Flows

Standard homeowners insurance typically excludes damage caused by mudslides, mudflows and debris flows. For mudflows and debris flows, in which a heavy amount of wet mud and debris flows like a river, you can typically get coverage through flood insurance.^[14] Mudslides, in which mud moves downhill due to gravity, may instead require coverage through a Difference in Conditions policy.^[15]

Should You Buy Flood Insurance Before an El Niño Storm?

It may be a good idea to purchase flood insurance before an approaching El Niño storm season, especially if you live near areas that have experienced flooding in recent years or are at or below sea level. However, don’t wait too long to purchase flood coverage – many policies require you to wait anywhere from two weeks to 30 days before coverage starts, depending on whether your policy is from a private insurer or the NFIP.^[16]

Create a Home Inventory Before El Niño

Creating a home inventory before El Niño arrives can help you determine the value of your personal belongings, so that if anything is damaged, you can more effectively document your losses when filing a homeowners insurance claim. Consider gathering details on the following items, including their description, purchase receipts, serial numbers and date of purchase:

• Electronics
• Appliances
• Equipment
• Collectibles
• Clothing
• Furniture
• Jewelry
• Artwork and décor
• Fine kitchenware

What To Do When an El Niño Storm Is Approaching

When an El Niño storm is approaching, you should review your home insurance coverage to check for any gaps in protection. Inspect your home for damage that can be quickly repaired or for potential issues you can address, such as cleaning your gutters or storing outdoor furniture.

Determine whether you live in an area at risk for flood damage and plan for a potential evacuation if necessary. It may also be worth preparing an emergency kit with necessary supplies in case the power goes out and roads flood.

What To Do After El Niño Storm Damage

Once an El Niño storm has passed, inspect your home for any damage when it's safe to walk around your property. Take photographs of any damage you notice and file an insurance claim as soon as possible.

Preparing for El Niño Weather at a Glance

Below is the essential information you should know about preparing for El Niño:

• El Niño extreme weather risks can significantly damage your home and property, so make sure you have appropriate insurance coverage beforehand.
• El Niño-related weather conditions vary by location.
• Check your home for any damage or issues that you can repair before the peak of the El Niño season.
• Standard homeowners insurance won’t cover flooding or mudflows caused by El Niño storms, so you'll need additional coverage for these risks.
• Create a home inventory of your personal property to know the value of items that could be lost during an El Niño storm.

How To Review Your Home Insurance Before Storm Season

Before storm season strikes, it's essential to review your home insurance policy and add or change any coverages to ensure you’re protected.

• Check your dwelling coverage limit to see how much coverage you have and make sure it matches or exceeds your home’s replacement cost after a total loss.
• Check your home’s loss of use coverage to determine how long you’d have to make any necessary repairs if there’s damage after a storm.
• Verify whether you have flood insurance and consider purchasing a policy if you’re in a high-risk area.
• Check for any available discounts that can help lower your costs.
• Shop around and get quotes from different insurance companies to ensure you’re getting the most affordable premiums.