Tornadoes, gusts, windstorms, and thunderstorms have the power to unleash destructive forces upon vehicles, causing significant damage and financial burdens for their owners. Understanding the coverage provided by car insurance policies is essential to safeguarding against these natural disasters. By having comprehensive coverage in their policies, policyholders can protect their vehicles from a range of perils, including tornadoes, windstorms, hail, falling debris, vandalism, theft, fire and more.
The Power and Impact of Tornadoes
Tornadoes can strike with little warning, leaving behind a trail of devastation. Certain states, such as Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, are particularly susceptible to tornadoes due to their geographic location. These areas, known as Tornado Alley, experience a higher frequency of tornado occurrences. Tornadoes unleash powerful winds that possess the capacity to uproot trees, forcefully hurling them onto vehicles, resulting in substantial damage to roofs and bodies. Moreover, these destructive storms can lead to the collapse of buildings, posing a significant risk to nearby vehicles and causing widespread devastation. Additionally, tornadoes have the ability to transform various objects into dangerous projectiles, capable of striking vehicles and posing a severe and immediate threat.
Comprehensive Coverage: Protection Against Tornado and Wind Damage:
Comprehensive coverage is a component of automobile insurance that protects against events beyond the policyholder’s control. Comprehensive coverage typically includes protection against tornadoes, windstorms, hail, floods, lightning, and other non-collision incidents. If your vehicle sustains damage from a tornado or windstorm and you have comprehensive coverage, your insurance policy may cover the cost of repairing or replacing the vehicle, minus the deductible.
Example: Following a tornado, your car sustains significant damage, including a crumpled hood, shattered windows, and dents on the sides. With comprehensive coverage, your insurance company will cover the repair costs after you pay the deductible.
In addition to tornado and wind damage, comprehensive coverage may also protect against other perils commonly associated with tornadoes.
Example 1: Hail damage – A severe thunderstorm with hail pelts your car, leaving behind numerous dents and cracks on the vehicle’s exterior. Comprehensive coverage will likely cover the cost of repairs.
Example 2: Lightning strike – A lightning bolt strikes a nearby tree, causing it to fall onto your parked car. The resulting damage, including a crushed roof and broken windows, may be covered by comprehensive coverage.
Mandatory and Optional Coverage:
While comprehensive coverage is optional for vehicle owners, there are situations where it is either mandatory or highly recommended:
a) Leased and financed vehicles: Lenders and leasing companies often require comprehensive and collision coverage to protect their investment in leased or financed vehicles. They want to ensure that if the vehicle is damaged or destroyed, their financial interest is safeguarded.
b) Tornado-prone areas: Residents in areas prone to tornadoes, such as Tornado Alley, or regions with a high incidence of windstorms, would benefit greatly from comprehensive coverage.
Example: If you live in Oklahoma, where tornadoes are common, comprehensive coverage can provide valuable protection against potential tornado and wind damage.
It’s important to note that comprehensive coverage is not limited to tornado and wind damage but also offers protection against theft, vandalism, falling objects, and flooding. Most vehicle insurance companies sell comprehensive and collision coverage together and both of them come with deductibles.
Premium Impact and Comprehensive Claims:
Filing a comprehensive claim for tornado or wind damage may result in a moderate increase in insurance premiums. However, the impact on premiums from a comprehensive claim is generally less significant compared to at-fault accident claims. The actual increase depends on the size of the claim, your driving record and your insurer.
Timing and Binding Restrictions:
It’s worth noting that some insurance companies may choose not to sell comprehensive coverage too close to an impending tornado or hurricane warning. This means that policyholders may not be able to add or modify comprehensive coverage shortly before an expected storm and cancel it immediately afterward. These restrictions aim to prevent individuals from taking advantage of coverage solely for the duration of a storm. Therefore, motorists are best served by purchasing and maintaining their policies until the value of their automobile decreases significantly.
Insurance Company Assistance
During and after a tornado or windstorm, insurance companies may provide claim filing support, access to preferred repair shops, or emergency response resources to their policyholders. You should be aware of the available services and contact your insurance company promptly in case of any damage.