Few weather events can cause sudden, widespread damage like a tornado. From broken tree limbs and flying debris to houses lifted from their foundations, these violent storms are sometimes powerful enough to destroy entire neighborhoods in a matter of minutes.
The United States experiences more tornadoes than any other country in the world. And the damage they leave behind accounted for more than one-third of insured catastrophe losses from 1997 to 2019.
In the event a tornado touches down near you, it’s always important to know the best ways to keep your family safe – and how to rebuild after the storm.
Tornado damage typically falls into two categories: wind and water damage.
Wind Damage
Most standard homeowners insurance policies will cover wind damage caused by a tornado, since wind is considered a covered peril. That means wind damage to your roof, windows and siding will generally be taken care of by your insurance company.
Flooding or Surface Water Damage
Damage from flooding or surface water is excluded in your homeowners policy. So, for example, if you live near a creek and a severe thunderstorm causes it to overflow into your basement – that’s a flood, so cleanup and damage isn’t covered under a standard homeowners policy.
However, if the water damage directly results from the covered peril – in this instance, wind – then it might be covered, depending on your policy. For example: Let’s say a wind gust during the tornado shatters your front window and the rain pours in all over your living room damaging the drywall and carpet. Unlike the overflowing creek example, the water damage in this example could be covered since the original source of the damage was the wind (a covered peril), not water.
Flood Insurance
Flood damage has to be purchased separately – and there’s a 30-day waiting period before your policy will go into effect. That’s because flood insurance is federally regulated through the Federal Emergency Management
ARE YOU PREPARED?
Tornado season or not, a little preparation can give you big peace of mind.
At Gateway Insurance Network, our goal is to guide you to the right policy and be there for you when disaster strikes. The staff at Gateway Insurance Network will do all they can to make sure filing your claim is easy from start to finish.
Gateway Insurance Network will help you get the peace of mind that you expect.
573-327-8040
gatewayinsurancenetwork.com