Does My Auto Insurance Protect My Car From a Hurricane?
If you've lived in Texas for long, you know that the end of summer and beginning of fall is about more than just going back to school. It also means Hurricane Season is about to really ramp up! While technically Hurricane Season is from June to December, most hurricanes come in the middle of that time frame. The peak of the season is from mid-August to late October. Between 1851 and 2016, 289 hurricanes affected the continental U.S. Of these, 63 made landfall in Texas.
In 2017, Texas was hit by Hurricane Harvey. This massive storm made landfall near the coast of Rockport as a Category 4 hurricane. It later stalled just inland, producing extreme and unprecedented amounts of rainfall in the vast majority of southern Texas. The resulting catastrophic flooding caused an estimated $125 billion in damage. A storm doesn't need to be a Major Hurricane to wreak havoc. In 2018, Tropical Storm Imelda made landfall near Freeport, Texas with winds of 40 mph. The slow and erratic movement of the tropical cyclone produced widespread and catastrophic flooding across much of southeastern Texas. A peak rainfall total of 43.39 inches was recorded at North Fork Taylors Bayou in Jefferson County. Imelda's effects killed five people.
You know you need homeowner's insurance to protect your home and your possessions inside from a storm like this, but what about your car? Does your car insurance policy protect your car from a hurricane the way your homeowner's policy protects your home? Your auto insurance agency in Texas will be able to tell you.
The answer is "It depends on your exact policy." You need more than just a fantastic auto insurance agency in Texas, you need the right coverage too. Collision and Comprehensive Coverages are needed as a part of your policy if you want your carrier to pay for the repair or total loss of your car after a severe weather event like a hurricane. Collision covers your car if it is in a crash with another car or object. Let's say before the bad part of the storm hits you are driving to the store for supplies and the rain causes you to hydroplane and crash your car. You would make a Collision claim. However, the majority of damage to vehicles from hurricanes and tropical storms is from winds and water. In that case, your car would be covered under Comprehensive Coverage. Comprehensive covers your car for damages due to flood waters, hail, wind and other natural occurrences. If your car is flipped and damaged by strong winds, Comprehensive Coverage will typically handle that.
September is the most active time of Hurricane Season. In the Northern Atlantic Ocean, the peak of activity occurs around September 10 each season. Will you be ready this year when September rolls around? If you have the best auto insurance in Texas you will be!
