Does auto insurance cover floods?

You probably don’t worry about floods in Austin, TX because rarely does Lake Austin engulf Sixth Street like the Gulf of Mexico does Houston, but heavy rains can cause flash floods. You need to know when your auto insurance covers this peril. Southwest Insurance Center wants you to understand how auto insurance protects you and which aspects of a policy protect your investment in your vehicle.

Of course, your best course of action when driving and you approach standing water is to turn around and take a dry route. You cannot control it though if heavy rains simply engulf your vehicle. Since most vehicles have less than 12 inches of ground clearance, just one foot of water can affect your undercarriage and the mechanics of your auto.

You need to discuss your insurance coverage with Southwest Insurance Center before Texas thunderstorm season. While it might be tempting to carry only the minimum state-required auto insurance, that will not protect your vehicle. You need comprehensive coverage in your auto insurance policy to cover flood damage. Comprehensive coverage will pay for repairs or replacement costs when necessary for damage caused by an event other than a vehicular accident.

If you took out an auto loan to buy your vehicle, the financial lender may require you to carry full coverage, so you would have comprehensive within that. This means that if your vehicle got damaged in a flood, you would only need to pay the deductible.

You can add comprehensive coverage if you do not already carry it, but you need to do it before the storm season. You are typically restricted from purchasing comprehensive coverage when a hurricane or other storm with tropical-storm-force winds is forecasted and you live within the forecasted landfall path. striking when reported by the National Hurricane Center.

Contact Southwest Insurance Center of Austin, TX today to discuss your auto insurance. A quick chat with an agent can ensure you obtain the proper coverage before you need it.