Hurricane Hermine which just swept through Tampa Bay caused major flooding throughout the city and surrounding areas. Most people only think about having flood insurance for their houses, but do you know if your car insurance covers flooding in your car? It’s not automatic coverage, but think, if your house floods, your car will probably flood as well if you decide to drive or not.
Living in Florida and in areas that are more likely to flood, it is so important to make sure your car insurance policy covers flood damage for your car. If you have a basic level of car insurance, for example just liability coverage, flood damage wouldn’t be covered. For flood damage to be covered you need “Comprehensive Coverage”. According to Esurance, comprehensive coverage can “cover damage caused by hail water and floods”. This however is in some cases, not all. To be sure your comprehensive policy covers flood damage, it is important to specifically ask your insurance agent.
With comprehensive coverage you choose a deductible to pay as an out-of-pocket cost – most opt for a low deductible to they don’t have to worry about flood damage, vandalism, etcetera. It should also cover the actual cash value of your car if it is destroyed or stolen. This comprehensive coverage will not cover damage from a car accident; for that you need collision coverage.
Do you know exactly what is covered under your car insurance policy? Don’t let a hurricane or tropical storm leave you unprepared to deal with possible damage afterwards.