A recent study from Gold Eagle found that Illinois was the fourth-most prepared state for natural disasters. Although the state may do an excellent job of preparing its residents for natural disasters, there is no way to avoid the property damage that comes with such storms. Illinois tends to be quite prone to an array of natural disasters.
Winters in Illinois can be quite harsh. Storms not only bring snow but ice and wind as well. Both 2007 and 2011 brought winter storms and blizzards to the area. The blizzard of 2011 dumped nearly 30 inches
of snow in parts of Northern and Western Illinois. The snowfall was preceded by icefall.
The mission of the Illinois FAIR Plan Association is “to make basic property insurance available to qualified applicants who have not been able to obtain property insurance.” Those in need of FAIR Plan
coverage are expected to seek policies from the standard insurance marketplace first. Residents saw sustained winds of more than 35 miles per hour.
Many parts of the state saw white-out conditions as well. During the storm, nearly 1,000 cars found themselves stranded on Lake Shore Drive. Drivers and passengers were trapped in their vehicles for up
to 12 hours before rescuers could reach the cars. The storm also resulted in 11 deaths.
It’s not just winters in Illinois that are bad, either. Summers in Illinois are known for tornado activity. In early 2012, an EF4 tornado touched down between Harrisburg and Ridgeway, causing widespread
property damage.
The storm occurred in late February, which is much earlier than usual for tornados in the area. Many residents were still worried about overcoming a blizzard that had just swept through the region. The tornado caught them completely off-guard.
A year later, a tornado again touched down at an unexpected time. This tornado, which touched down on November 17, 2013, ravaged the areas between Washington and New Minden. More than 100
people were injured as a result.
If you don’t receive coverage from the standard insurance marketplace, you may feel as though the FAIR Plan is your last resort. Because this is the case, you may feel as though you have no choice but to accept the high rates and limited coverage likely offered by the FAIR Plan.
However, this is not the case. There are plenty of alternatives to the Illinois FAIR Plan that exist in the private sector. Before settling on Illinois FAIR Plan coverage, you should seek out alternatives from the
private marketplace.