Does Car Insurance Cover Storm Damage? What to Know About Weather-Related Car Insurance Claims

Written by Team Clearcover | December 8th, 2021

If you’ve experienced storm damage to your vehicle, you might be wondering where to begin. How do you know if you have the right coverage to repair or replace your car? 

In this article, we’ll cover a variety of questions about weather-related car insurance claims that you might have if you’ve experienced storms that caused damages to your vehicle. And you’ll learn what to do if you need to file a claim.

You'll cover topics and questions such as:

Does Car Insurance Cover Storm Damage?

In general, yes, car insurance can cover the repair or replacement of your vehicle due to weather damage as long as you have the right coverages—and as long as the damage isn’t due to an excluded event. (And we’ll cover what that means in this article.)

But here’s the real question: Does your car insurance policy cover storm damage? 

That question is a bit more complex. Each auto insurance policy is unique, and each driver selects the amount of coverage and types of coverages they’d like to include, along with a deductible.

Whether your car insurance covers storm damage depends on the type of coverages you have in your insurance policy, the type of incident that caused the damages, and more. 

Here’s how to tell if your car insurance policy provides financial protection in the event of storm damage to your car.

How Do I Know if I Have Car Insurance That Covers Storm Damage to My Car?

It can be tricky to know if you have the right coverage in your policy for weather-related car insurance claims.

To get a better understanding, let's look at some common car insurance coverages you're likely to have to see if they can cover storm damage. (If you’re already a Clearcover customer, you can check your coverages and manage your policy easily in our award-winning app.)

Liability Coverage

What it is: Liability insurance covers damage to other people and property when you cause an incident. This type of coverage is in two parts—bodily injury liability and property damage liability. 

Is it required? Both bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverages are required in most states. If you have car insurance, it’s likely you already have this coverage in place. 

Can liability cover storm damage to my vehicle? No. Liability coverage is in place for damages you cause to someone else’s property or vehicle in an incident where you’re at fault. 

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists Coverage

What it is: This coverage can help with expenses if you’re in an accident caused by a driver who does not have enough insurance to cover your bills.

Is it required? Some states do require that you have certain uninsured and underinsured motorists coverages in place. Check with your insurance company or agent to learn more.

Can uninsured or underinsured motorists coverage include storm damage? No. Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists coverage is designed to help protect you against financial loss if you’re in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. While an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver could happen during a storm and you may be covered against the damages that driver caused, this coverage doesn’t protect you against storm damage to your vehicle in general. 

Collision Coverage

What it is: This coverage does exactly what it sounds like it does. It helps pay for the cost of repairs or replacement for your vehicle if it hits another vehicle or property. With collision coverage, you’ll pay your deductible and your insurance company covers the rest of the claim.

Is it required? This coverage is optional in most states, but it might be required if you have an active car loan or lease. 

Can collision cover storm damage to my vehicle? It’s complicated. Collision coverage can cover damage from driving-related accidents in severe weather. But collision coverage isn’t designed to cover all types of damage your car could encounter in a storm. 

Comprehensive Coverage

What it is: Comprehensive coverage is the rockstar of your auto insurance policy where weather-related claims are concerned. This coverage is what comes into play when you experience storm damage to your vehicle that’s not due to a weather-related collision. And just like collision coverage, a deductible will apply.

Is it required? Similar to collision coverage, this coverage is optional in most states, but it might be required if you have an active car loan or lease. 

Can comprehensive cover storm damage to my car? Generally yes, if it’s not an excluded event in your policy. Comprehensive coverage is designed to protect your vehicle against loss or damage due to severe weather, theft, storms, natural disasters, and more. We’ll discuss it more in-depth below. 

How Comprehensive Coverage Works For Weather-Related Car Insurance Claims

When your vehicle gets damaged from severe weather—let’s say a tree fell on your car during a severe storm—comprehensive coverage can help you cover the cost to repair or replace your vehicle. 

In most cases, your car insurance covers storm damage if you’ve purchased comprehensive coverage—and if the damage to your vehicle wasn’t caused by an excluded event listed in your policy. 

An excluded event is just “insurance speak” for an instance or type of damage or accident that is specifically listed as not covered—and therefore, excluded. 

For example, let’s say your auto insurance policy specifically notes that damages caused to your car by aliens from outer space is an excluded event and isn’t covered. That means that if—by rare chance—your car was destroyed by aliens from outer space, it unfortunately wouldn’t be covered by your car insurance company if you filed a claim.

Obviously, space alien damage isn’t a typical excluded event! Some examples of events that might be excluded from coverage could include:

  • Damages due to mechanical breakdown or electrical failure

  • Wear and tear to your tires

  • Intentional damage you cause to your vehicle

(The above list doesn’t cover all events that could be excluded from a car insurance policy. To know for sure what’s excluded from your specific car insurance policy, ask your insurance agent or review your written policy. Or if you’re a Clearcover customer, you can easily check this information in the Clearcover app!

How does insurance payment work on weather-related car insurance claims? When you purchase comprehensive coverage for your vehicle, you select a deductible. A deductible is the amount you agree to pay out of pocket before your car insurance policy kicks in to cover the remaining damages.

After you file a claim, you’ll pay your deductible out of pocket, and your insurance company will assess the damages and issue a payment to cover the repairs (minus your deductible). Learn more about comprehensive coverage.

Don’t have comprehensive coverage? Get a quick quote to see how much you’d pay with Clearcover.

How Collision Coverage Works for Car Insurance Claims Due to Severe Weather

If you’re driving and severe storms hit and cause you to get in a weather-related accident, collision coverage can help you repair your vehicle or replace it if it’s totaled. Remember, collision insurance covers if you roll over or collide with another vehicle or object.

And similar to comprehensive coverage, collision coverage also requires that you pay a deductible out of pocket.

For example: You’re driving home from a friend’s house in the rain when the weather picks up and a severe thunderstorm hits. Due to wet roads and limited visibility, you lose control of your car and slide into a tree. 

Thankfully, you’re not injured in the accident, but your vehicle is. Through your collision coverage, you’re able to get help repairing your vehicle and get it back on the road again and all you have to pay out of pocket is your deductible.

See what you’d pay for collision coverage with a quick quote.

How to File Weather-Related Car Insurance Claims

If your car has been damaged by a major weather-related event, here’s what you need to do.

  1. Play it safe. If your car is under a tree, near downed power lines, or has rolled over, don’t try to gather belongings from the inside or move it yourself. Wait for help.

  2. Write down the details. What time did the storm happen? When and how was your car damaged? You’ll need to provide this info to your insurer when you file.

  3. Take photos of the damages. Safely take photos of the damages to your vehicle from all angles. (If you’re a Clearcover customer, you can easily send photos for your weather-related claim in the app.)

  4. Don’t drive your car unless you’re 100% sure it’s safe. Damaged or flooded cars may not be safe to drive. (And if you have Clearcover’s alternative transportation coverage, you’ll have a ride when you need it most.)

  5. File a claim with your car insurance company. Provide your insurer with the details and photos to get things started. The easiest way to file a car insurance claim is with the Clearcover app. And with Clear Claims powered by ClearAI™, you’ll get some of the fastest claims processing in the industry. 

You can learn more about the steps you need to take for a car insurance claim in Filing a Car Insurance Claim: Here’s What to Do After an Accident. 

Next, let’s tackle some common questions that come up when you have weather-related damage to your vehicle.

FAQs: Storm Damage Car Insurance Questions

When a weather-related event damages your car, you might be left with a lot of questions. And we’re to help! Below you’ll find a quick list of FAQs.

The information below is to help give you a better understanding of how car insurance works for common weather-related damages.

Remember, you should check your specific auto insurance policy to determine what exclusions and limitations your policy holds and to make sure you have sufficient coverage in place for storm damage to your vehicle. 

How many days do I have to file weather-related car insurance claims?

If your vehicle has significant damage due to a storm or other weather-related incident and you need to file a claim, you need to notify your insurance company as soon as possible. Clearcover customers can easily do this in the app with a couple of taps. 

Some states do have limitations on when you can file certain types of claims. Check with your insurance company or the insurance regulatory authority in your state for specifics.

Does car insurance cover hail damage?

It depends! If you have comprehensive car insurance coverage on your vehicle and it’s been damaged by hail in a storm, as long as it isn’t an excluded event in your policy it’s likely covered. But remember, your coverage is based on your deductible, policy, exclusions and limitations, and more. 

Check with your insurer to make sure you have the coverage you need, especially if you live in a state that experiences frequent hail storms such as in Nebraska, Colorado, or Wyoming (1).

What if your car is repaired and then damaged by hail again in the same year? Can you file multiple hail claims in one year? In most cases, there’s no limit on filing a certain number of claims per year if you have the coverage in place. There is some state nuance to this rule, so again, make sure to check with your insurance company directly. 

Does car insurance cover wind damage to my vehicle?

If your car needs repair due to wind damage and you have comprehensive coverage in place, it’s likely covered. 

For example, if a storm blows through and windblown objects damage your car (and if you have comprehensive coverage on your vehicle), this might be a covered event depending on the specifics of your policy.

In the case your vehicle is damaged due to high winds while you’re driving—for example, if strong winds cause you to lose control of your vehicle, collision coverage may help replace or repair your vehicle. 

Does car insurance cover flood damage?

Comprehensive coverage can help pay for replacement or repair if your vehicle is damaged in a flood. But this depends on the specifics of your particular auto insurance policy—and as long as the damage isn’t caused by an excluded event.

Flooding happens in every state across the U.S., so no matter where you live, it’s important to make sure you have the right car insurance in place to cover flood damage to your car. 

Does car insurance cover water damage not due to flooding?

This really depends on the cause of the water damage.

Comprehensive coverage doesn’t apply to water damage caused by not maintaining your vehicle (think accidentally leaving the windows open in a thunderstorm). But water damage caused by severe weather, like a hurricane or thunderstorm, may be covered depending on the specifics of the situation. 

For instance, say there’s a major hurricane in your area and harsh winds cause a tree to fall, breaking several of your vehicle’s windows in the process. During the hurricane, severe rains drench the interior electrical system in your car and cause major damage and malfunction. In a case like this, non-flood water-related damage may be included under your comprehensive coverage.

Does car insurance cover hurricane damage?

If you live in a hurricane-prone area and you have collision and comprehensive coverage, you can have peace of mind. Both comprehensive and collision coverage can cover hurricane damage to your car, depending on the type of accident.

If your car is in park and it’s damaged in a hurricane, comprehensive coverage is usually what applies if you need to repair or replace your vehicle. If you are driving your vehicle and a severe storm causes an accident, that’s when collision coverage comes into play.

Does car insurance cover tornado damage?

It depends on your specific insurance policy and any exclusions or limitations, but comprehensive coverage is designed to cover damage to your vehicle from severe storms like tornadoes. 

As with any weather-related car insurance claim, the type of coverage that applies for tornadoes will depend on what caused the damages, where and when the damages happened, and more.

Does car insurance cover wildfires?

Comprehensive coverage can help pay for repair or replacement if your car is damaged or a total loss due to a wildfire. Wildfires are considered a natural disaster or weather-related event in most cases. 

When the Storms Roll In, Clearcover is Here for You

Weather-related damages to your car can be a hassle to navigate. 

But Clearcover provides car insurance that’s hassle-free, fast, and easy to understand. We’re here to help you understand how car insurance works and provide you with the best insurance experience possible. 

And if you don’t have the coverage you need, take a deep breath. We can help you get the right coverage before the next storm rolls in.

We’ll always go the extra mile for you. (And you can switch your car insurance company anytime!) Check your Clearcover price today.

Simplifying InsuranceTeam ClearcoverCar insurance, Claims