For the millions of American homeowners living in the coastal regions of the United States, facing a hurricane poses a potentially devastating financial risk that most are unprepared for. Each year, flooding alone causes approximately $2 billion of property damage, not to mention the devastation caused by high winds and rain. Despite these risks, however, only 14% of Americans have actually purchased flood insurance to protect their property, and even fewer have comprehensive hurricane insurance.

While the threat of hurricanes might be an unavoidable fact of life for those owning beachfront and coastal property, the financial losses accompanying those storms can be minimized with proper insurance coverage. Selecting the right type of hurricane coverage at the right price isn't always easy, however, because unfortunately there is no single policy that covers all potential hurricane damage. If your home is not near the coast, your hurricane coverage might be as simple as having a homeowners policy, while those in a flood plane often require a separate flood policy to supplement their homeowners insurance, and finally those on the coast may need an altogether separate windstorm policy. Here at Hurricane Insurance .com, you'll find a great assortment of resources to assist you in selecting the right combination of homeowners, flood, and windstorm policies, so that you can cheaply but effectively protect your home against hurricane damage.

The recent fires in California devastated 38,000 acres and destroyed 63 structures, many of them homes. Although some fires can't be stopped, there are things you can do to help mitigate the risk in your own home. Check out these guides, tools, and tips designed to help you fight fire at home.

Dean and Felix have been some of the biggest tropical storms to hit this year, but there are surely more to come with hurricane season lasting from June until November. As the months pass, those living in the Caribbean, Mexico, and along the U.S. Gulf Coast brace themselves for storm surges, flooding, and damaging winds. Threats of Category 5 hurricanes have evacuated entire communities, causing tourists and native citizens to flee and government agencies promising aid to mobilize. No one wants a repeat of 2005's catastrophic Hurricane Katrina which ravaged cities, took lives, and damaged the reputations of those in power. While you can't control the intensity of the storm or your region's response to flood damage, there are some vital precautions you can take to secure your home if a hurricane hits.

While natural disasters seem to get more press coverage nowadays, they're are nothing new. Natural disasters have influenced the course of history throughout the ages, causing famine, loss of life, and in extreme cases, the destruction of entire civilizations. While they are, thankfully, strange occurrences by design, there are times when mother nature simply outdoes even herself and creates something truly bizarre. Whether they defy explanation or simply leave us in awe at the sheer force they employ, here are 10 of the strangest natural disasters on record.