Starting Wednesday night, high winds out of the northeast are expected to whip across much of Southern California including San Diego County, gusting up 80 miles per hour over mountain peaks, and up to about 65 miles per hour below canyons and passes.
Hazardous conditions may persist through Friday, with the strongest winds expected to peak Thursday morning.
While most homeowner policies cover damage caused by flying debris or falling trees, there are some exceptions.
"Where it does get a little bit tricky is that many people feel that if the tree falls and doesn't cause damage that they would still be covered," explained Pete Moraga with the Insurance Information Network of California. "But the policies are pretty specific, and they say that if the tree falls and it doesn't do any physical damage to a covered structure, then there wouldn't be any coverage for that tree removal or any debris removal that you would see from that."
He said if a tree falls and damages the house, homeowner policies generally cover the damage to the house and up to the policy's limit for tree removal, typically about $500 per tree.
Moraga said with fire weather conditions along with the winds, it is time to secure any loose items, such as patio furniture, and move any flammable objects away from the home.
