Does homeowners insurance cover tornado damage?

How does home insurance cover tornado damage?

• Dwelling (Coverage A): If your home is damaged or destroyed by a tornado, dwelling coverage may pay to repair or replace the physical structure of your home, including any attached structures, up to your coverage limit.
• Other structures (Coverage B): If a tornado damages structures on your property not attached to your home, such as a detached garage, free-standing gazebo, or shed, other structures coverage may pay to repair or replace the structures, up to your coverage limit.
• Personal property (Coverage C): Personal property coverage may pay to replace personal belongings, including furniture, clothing, and electronics, damaged or lost due to high winds, up to your coverage limit. Keep in mind that some items have a "sublimit" which places a maximum payout for that specific item type.
• Loss of use (Coverage E): Loss of use coverage may pay above what you normally spend for lodging, groceries, and other services, if you're displaced due to the damage sustained from a tornado, up to your coverage limit.

What about tornado property damage from trees?

If a fallen tree damages your home during a tornado, your homeowners insurance policy may cover the tornado damage — if windstorms are a covered peril and your policy doesn't have any wind exclusions. There may be exceptions, though. Suppose the tree was already rotting and general maintenance was neglected prior to the tornado that caused it to fall. Your insurer may not cover the damage because proper reasonable care may have prevented the tree from falling.

How do I file an insurance claim for tornado damage?

If a tornado damages your home, contact your insurance company immediately. Take a home inventory with photos and videos of the damage inside and outside your home and save all receipts for expenses incurred. All documentation of your losses should be submitted during the claims process.

While some repairs may need to begin as soon as possible for your safety or to prevent further damage, you'll want to hold off on making permanent repairs until your insurance adjuster completes their inspection of the damage. Once that happens, be sure your repairs and updates are in line with making it easier to prep your home for tornadoes in the future to minimize repeat damage.

Is there a separate deductible for tornado claims?

It depends on your policy. Some policies have a separate deductible for windstorm claims, and that deductible may be higher than your policy's standard homeowners insurance deductible. Your windstorm deductible may be a set dollar amount or a percentage of one or more of your coverage limits. In either case, your insurance would pay for the covered portion of your claim, minus the deductible.

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