To make sure your car is covered for flood damage, you’ll need to add comprehensive insurance to your auto insurance policy. Standard auto insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. Whether you need comprehensive insurance against flood for your car mostly relies on if you live in a flood zone. However, keep in mind that flooding even outside a flood zone is likely. This article will cover:

Does car insurance cover flood damage?

Your car is covered against damage due to flood if you have comprehensive insurance as part of your policy. It’s a common mistake to assume that standard auto insurance covers everything. However, a standard policy only protects you if you cause an accident, injure another person, or damage another vehicle or piece of property. If you only have the minimum car insurance required for your state, you’ll have zero protection from flood or water damage.

An auto insurance policy with comprehensive coverage will reimburse you for flood damage caused by hurricanes or tropical storms. It also covers damage caused by flash flooding and some other weather events.

What types of flood damage does comprehensive cover?

Flood damage is listed as a covered peril in your comprehensive insurance policy. Your car insurance policy won’t cover flood or water damage if you leave your windows or sunroof open during a storm. In that situation, you’ll have to pay for damages out of your own pocket.

Do I need comprehensive coverage for floods?

Your need to have comprehensive coverage for flooding depends on whether you live in a flood zone, but floods occur outside of flood zones frequently. This is especially true when it comes to flash floods.

Also, flood zones change often. You may not live in a flood zone now, but your area may be categorized as a flood zone in the future. Furthermore, comprehensive coverage protects you from flood damage if you’re on a trip away from home. Also, adding comprehensive coverage to your policy is generally pretty affordable. 

Keep in mind that protecting yourself from flood damage isn’t the only reason to buy comprehensive insurance. It also covers:

  • Car theft
  • Damage due to earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes
  • Falling objects
  • Fire and smoke damage
  • Hail and snow
  • Vandalism

How much insurance coverage you need depends on your car’s make and model, age, and value. Most experts will tell you to carry comprehensive coverage on a car if it’s less than 10 years old and if it’s worth more than $3,000 or $4,000.

Comprehensive insurance covers you up to the actual cash value of your vehicle. This means you get paid out based on the value of your car minus depreciation. If your car isn’t worth much, you may not see much of a return on investment on a flood claim. If your car is old or isn’t worth much, or if you’re no longer making payments on it, consider dropping comprehensive coverage.

Without comprehensive coverage, you’ll have to pay for all flood or water damage to your vehicle, but you can use the money you’ll save on your car insurance premium to pay for repairs or even a replacement.

How much does flood insurance for cars cost?

Comprehensive insurance costs an average of $134 per year, according to the III. That price primarily depends on which insurance company you choose. Comprehensive rates also depend on personal factors like your:

  • Age
  • Driving record
  • Car's value
  • Location
  • Deductible

Overall, adding comprehensive coverage to your car insurance policy is affordable. Compare quotes for comprehensive car insurance to protect your car from flood and water damage. It’s worth the money. If flooding damages your car and you don’t have comprehensive insurance, you have to pay to repair or replace it on your own.

How do I file a claim for a flooded car?

Filing a car insurance claim for flood damage is similar to filing a claim for any other kind of damage to your car. First, you’ll have to pay your deductible before your insurance pays the remainder of the claim.

Speed is the most important variable when filing a claim for flood damage. File your claim immediately. Water can be especially damaging to a car. The longer you wait, the worse it could be for your vehicle. Additionally, if a storm damaged your car, it probably damaged other cars in the area, too. There will probably be a long line of people wanting to file a claim at the same time. The sooner you file your claim, the sooner your insurance company can process it.

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