What are Acts of God and does home insurance cover them?

Key takeways

• “Acts of God” refers to extreme, unforeseen natural events outside human control, such as storms, floods, and earthquakes, and is also known as “force majeure.”

• Events caused by human action or negligence (like a leaking tap or leaving an iron on) are not considered Acts of God and are treated as preventable incidents.

• Most home insurance policies cover many natural disasters, but cover depends on the specific policy, with exclusions, limits, and risk-based pricing (especially in flood-prone areas).

What is an Act of God? 

Regarding home insurance, the phrase ‘Act of God’ refers to a range of different disaster scenarios that may impact you and your home. They usually include extreme, unforeseen acts of nature which are unavoidable and are out of human control.

These events are also sometimes known as ‘force majeures'.

What is not considered an Act of God? 

If someone or something is to blame for an incident, and it could have been prevented or avoided, then it’s not an Act of God.

For example, a flood caused by a leaking tap or a fire that started because of an iron left on. These are both examples where a person is the cause of the incident and therefore aren’t classed as Acts of God.  

Does my home insurance cover Acts of God? 

Yes — most home insurance policies do cover events traditionally called “Acts of God,” although insurers rarely use that phrase anymore. Instead, they list the specific natural events they cover, such as storms, floods, lightning, or earthquakes. Cover varies by insurer and policy.

The following 'Acts of God' are generally included: 

• Storms 

• Lighting  

• Floods 

• Tsunamis 

• Volcano eruptions 

• Tornadoes

Can I buy Act of God insurance? 

No, there aren’t specific ‘Acts of God’ insurance policies. Your standard home insurance should cover you for Act of God scenarios, such as floods and fires.

Does my home insurance cover natural disasters? 

Yes, your home insurance policy should cover you for natural disasters such as lightning strikes, floods, fires, and storm damage.

The amount of cover you have depends on your policy and the level of cover you have bought. This should all be listed in your policy documents, which will have been sent to you by your insurer.

Not every scenario will be covered, and there will also be exclusions, which should be listed in the documents. For example, unless you have a specific garden insurance add-on there may limitations on the cover provided to structures and items outside your main building.

Does my home insurance cover floods and storm damage? 

Yes, most home insurance policies provide some cover for flood and storm damage.

If you live in a flood-risk area (you can check if you do on the Gov.uk website) your insurance is probably going to be more expensive, or you may have to pay a higher excess if you make an insurance claim.  

Properties in high flood risk areas can also get protection from the Government’s Flood Re scheme which will provide cover if standard insurers won’t. You can find a list of insurance providers who are members of the scheme on the Flood Re website.