Hurricane Helene devastated countless communities in its 600-mile path. If you’re dealing with the aftermath of Helene or another extreme weather event, you may be wondering if your insurance policy covers car flooding.

Your auto insurance policy will typically pay out for storm-related damage, including flooding, but only if you have comprehensive coverage. In this article, we’ll explain how comprehensive coverage works and how to file a claim for flood damage with your insurance company.

Does car insurance cover flood damage?

There are several types of car insurance coverage. Some are mandated by state law, while others may be required by your lender if you’ve financed your car. Common types of coverage include:

• Liability coverage: Consists of bodily injury liability coverage (in case you injure someone in an accident) and property damage liability coverage (in case you damage someone else’s property and you’re at fault in an accident. This type of coverage is required in most states.

• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage: Helps pay your medical bills and (in some states) your repair bills if you’re involved in an accident with a driver who lacks sufficient liability coverage.

• Comprehensive coverage: Provides protection if your car is damaged or destroyed in a weather event or an act of vandalism, or if it’s stolen. This type of coverage is usually optional if your car isn’t financed, but lenders frequently require it.

• Collision coverage: Provides a payout if you’re involved in a collision with another vehicle or a single-vehicle accident. Like comprehensive coverage, collision coverage isn’t typically mandated unless you have a loan or lease on your vehicle.

If you have comprehensive coverage, your auto insurance will usually pay for water damage from floodwaters and heavy rains. Comprehensive insurance also typically covers other storm damage. For example, if your car were damaged by hail, debris, or a fallen tree, comprehensive insurance would typically pay out.

Unfortunately, if you don’t have comprehensive insurance, you’ll be left to pay out of pocket for damage from floods and other natural disasters. That means you’ll either have to foot the cost of the repair bill or replace the car altogether.

Pro tip: Vehicle damage falls under the umbrella of auto insurance, not homeowners insurance, even if your car was parked in your garage or under your carport when the covered event occurred.

What types of flood damage does an auto policy cover?

Comprehensive car insurance will typically pay to repair or replace your vehicle if its engine, electric system, or transmission are damaged by flooding. It also typically covers things like mold on the interior and cosmetic issues like rust or corrosion that often arise from water damage.

Leaks from rains are usually covered, as long as they’re not caused by poor maintenance or negligence. For example, if you forget to close your sunroof or window and your car sustains water damage from a storm, your auto insurance policy probably won’t pay.

As with any auto insurance claim, you’ll need to pay your deductible before you get reimbursement from your insurance company.

How to file a car insurance claim for flood damage

If your vehicle sustained damage due to flooding from Hurricane Helene or another extreme weather event, follow these steps to file a car insurance claim:

1. Contact your car insurance company. You can call your insurance company or insurance agent, or you may be able to file a claim online or through your insurer’s mobile app. Try to file your claim as soon as possible, as insurance companies and repair shops are typically inundated with claims in the wake of a major storm. Be sure to write down the claim number.

2. Take pictures and videos to document the damage. Taking photos and videos of your vehicle can help you provide evidence of damage to your insurance company. Also take detailed notes about things that wouldn’t be obvious from photos, like the smell of smoke or mold, or wet carpeting.

3. Avoid driving your vehicle until you’ve had it inspected. Even if your car will start, it may have serious damage after flooding. Avoid driving it until you’ve had an inspection from a reputable mechanic. If you have an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle, that’s especially important, as EV batteries exposed to water can short-circuit and catch fire days or weeks after the damage occurred.

4. Review your coverage documents. While you wait for your insurance company to respond to your claim, take a look at your policy documents so you’re prepared for your out-of-pocket costs. Look at both your car insurance deductible, which is the amount you’ll have to pay before reimbursement kicks in, as well as the coverage limits for the maximum amounts the policy will pay out.

5. Follow the instructions your insurance adjuster provides. An insurance adjuster will contact you to follow up on your claim. The adjuster will assess the damage to your car and arrange for an inspection. You’ll often need to get an estimate of the repair costs before your insurer will pay. Your insurance company will then use that estimate to determine the value of your claim.

6. Repair or replace your vehicle. If your insurer concludes your vehicle is fixable, you can take it to the repair shop of your choice. Your insurance company may issue payment to you or the repair shop after subtracting your deductible. If your insurer totals your car — meaning they’ve determined it’s beyond repair — they’ll send a payment directly to you and/or your lender, minus your deductible.

If your vehicle was submerged in water, your insurer is likely to total the car, especially if the damage was caused by saltwater from a hurricane’s storm surge. Keep in mind that if your car is totaled, your insurer will probably use its actual cash value instead of its replacement cost to determine your payout. In other words, it will determine what it was worth immediately before the storm, rather than the cost of buying another similar vehicle. Due to car depreciation, your payout may be significantly less than the cost of actually replacing your car.

Can I add comprehensive insurance before or after a storm?

If you want financial protection for your vehicle in the event of a natural disaster, don’t wait until a storm is barreling your way — or after it’s already occurred.

You can never add insurance retroactively. That means if you didn’t have comprehensive insurance before your car sustained storm damage, you won’t be able to buy insurance and backdate it to cover the incident.

Though you can typically add comprehensive insurance to your policy at any time by contacting your insurer, most insurers also have binding restrictions that prevent you from buying new insurance or increasing your policy limits when a hurricane or tropical storm is expected to strike your area. Insurance companies put these restrictions in place to prevent people from adding coverage immediately before an event that’s likely to result in a large number of high-severity claims and then dropping it.

Reassessing your car insurance needs for natural disasters

It’s always wise to review your insurance periodically, but the aftermath of a natural disaster is an especially good time to do so. Here are some questions that can help you determine how much car insurance you need and decide whether you need to make changes to your auto policy:

• If your car was totaled, could you afford to buy another vehicle? You may not be required to have comprehensive coverage if you don’t have a car loan or lease. But you may want to keep this insurance unless your car is worth less than a few thousand dollars. Remember, without comprehensive coverage, you’ll receive no payout if your vehicle is totaled in a natural disaster.

• Can you afford to pay your current deductible? Maintaining high deductibles can lower your premiums, but you may need to reassess your policy if you’d struggle to pay this out-of-pocket expense before your coverage kicks in.

• Do you owe more on your car than it’s worth? If your car is destroyed and it’s financed, your lender gets paid for the remaining balance before you see a dime. Not only would you have to pay the full cost of replacing the vehicle, but you could also owe your lender the difference between the insurer’s reimbursement and your outstanding balance. Consider gap insurance if you owe more than your vehicle is worth. Though most people purchase it at the car dealership, you can usually add gap insurance to your current auto policy.

• Would renting a car for several weeks strain your budget? You could need to rent a car for an extended period after a flood or another natural disaster, especially since repair shops are likely to be overwhelmed with damaged vehicles. Adding rental car reimbursement coverage often costs just a few dollars extra per month and may be worth it for additional peace of mind.

If a storm is approaching your area, it may be too late to change your insurance coverage. But to reduce the risk of flood damage, try to move your car to high ground, preferably into a garage. Avoid driving if at all possible, but if you need to evacuate in your car, drive slowly and stick to main routes.

Also, consider taking “before” pictures of your car before the storm hits. These can help you document your loss if you need to file an insurance claim after the storm has passed.

FAQs

What type of car insurance covers flood damage?

Comprehensive coverage reimburses you for damage from floods and natural disasters. Most policies marketed as providing full coverage include comprehensive insurance, but check your policy documents if you’re not sure what’s included.

Do you need a flood insurance policy for cars?

No. Flood insurance applies to homes and other real properties, as well as personal belongings. Flood damage to a car is covered by comprehensive car insurance.

Will car insurance cover flood damage if I drove through a flooded street or large puddle?

Comprehensive car insurance will typically pay for repair or replacement costs (minus your deductible) if your vehicle was damaged after driving through a flooded area or large puddle. However, if you don’t have comprehensive coverage, your auto policy won’t pay for the damage.