Does my homeowners cover tornado damage?

We are in the thick of tornado season here in the Midwest. And unfortunately for us, it feels like tornado alley has shifted to be in our area- causing more tornados than ever before. As severe weather threatens our area, we often get increased phone calls asking if homeowners policies have tornado damage.

The good news for clients in our agency is that almost every homeowners policy that we write has coverage for tornados under the peril of wind. However, living in the Midwest, we are prone to windstorms so some homeowners policies have a separate deductible for damage caused by wind/hail. Tornados would fall under this wind/hail deductible.

Homeowners policies have various "buckets" of coverage that may apply in the case of a tornado:

Coverage A- Dwelling Coverage- This may provide coverage to your structure of your home to repair or replace the home from damages caused by tornados.

Coverage B- Other Structures- This may provide coverage to other structures on your property not connected to your home. Examples include, detached garages, fences, laundry lines, playsets, etc. Again, this coverage could be used to repair or replace those structures as approved by an claims adjuster.

Coverage C- Personal Property Coverage- This may provide coverage to replace or repair your personal property such as furniture, appliances, clothing, electronics, etc. On a standard homeowners policy, keep in mind that this coverage is generally actual cash value coverage unless endorsed for replacement cost. In our office, we try to endorse with the replacement cost endorsement if the client is agreeable.

Coverage E- Loss of Use- Unfortunately, after a tornado, your home may not be livable for a period of time. This coverage helps indemnify you for expenses related to living out of your home such as rent, meals, mileage, etc.

If you are impacted by a tornado, please follow these quick steps:

1. Ensure that everyone is moved to a safe location and that medical attention is not needed.

2. Once in a safe place, please call our office to report the claim. We have an emergency number on our phone recording should the tornado happen in off hours.

3. Once it is safe to do so, start making any temporary repairs to your home to help prevent any further damage (tarp roof, board windows, etc.). You will want to hold off on making any permanent repairs until an adjuster can finalize their inspection.

As always, our office will be by your side every step of the way. If you have questions or concerns about how your policy would respond in the event of a tornado, please give your agent a call.