Comprehensive car insurance covers certain types of weather-related damage, including hail, flooding, wind-blown debris, falling trees or branches, and other covered damage caused directly by severe weather.
It protects your vehicle from covered losses that happen outside of a collision.
Does Comprehensive Insurance Cover Hail Damage?
Yes. Hail damage is one of the most common examples of a comprehensive claim.
Comprehensive coverage can help pay for covered damage such as:
- Dents to the body of the vehicle
- Cracked or broken glass
- Windshield damage
- Other damage caused directly by hail
Oklahoma’s wind and hail insurance guidance also addresses how comprehensive coverage can apply to hail-related vehicle damage.
Your comprehensive deductible will typically apply to a covered hail claim.
Does Comprehensive Cover Tornado and Wind Damage?
Yes. Comprehensive coverage applies when a covered tornado, strong wind or severe storm directly damages your vehicle.
That can include damage from:
- Wind-blown debris
- Tree limbs
- Falling objects
- Objects carried by strong winds
- Other covered storm damage
For example, if strong winds send a tree branch onto your parked vehicle, comprehensive coverage applies.
Does Comprehensive Cover Flood Damage?
Yes. Comprehensive coverage can cover vehicle damage caused by flooding.
That can include damage from rising water or other covered flooding that reaches the vehicle.
For auto insurance, comprehensive is the coverage that applies when covered floodwater directly damages the car.
What If a Tree Falls on Your Car?
If a tree or branch falls onto your vehicle during a storm, comprehensive coverage applies.
This could happen because of strong winds, ice, heavy rain or severe thunderstorms.
What If Bad Weather Causes You to Crash?
This is one situation where the difference between comprehensive and collision matters.
If a covered weather event directly damages your vehicle, comprehensive coverage applies.
If you lose control and hit another vehicle or object, collision coverage applies instead.
For example:
Hail dents your parked car: Comprehensive.
Wind sends a tree branch onto your vehicle: Comprehensive.
Floodwater damages your car: Comprehensive.
You slide on a wet or icy road and hit a guardrail: Collision.
Both comprehensive and collision are commonly included in full coverage car insurance in Oklahoma, but they protect the vehicle in different situations.
Does Comprehensive Cover Windshield Damage From a Storm?
Yes. Comprehensive coverage can cover windshield damage caused by hail, falling debris or another covered weather event.
How glass damage is handled can vary by policy, including the deductible that applies.
Can You Add Comprehensive After a Storm Damages Your Car?
You can add comprehensive coverage for future losses, but it will not cover damage that happened before the coverage became effective.
For example, if hail damages your vehicle and you add comprehensive coverage afterward, the earlier hail damage would not become covered.
The coverage needs to be active when the loss happens.
Will You Pay a Deductible for Weather Damage?
Yes. Comprehensive coverage usually has a deductible.
If a hailstorm causes $2,000 in covered damage and your comprehensive deductible is $500, you would generally be responsible for the first $500 and the policy would apply to the remaining covered amount.
The deductible you choose can also affect the price of your coverage. Understanding how full coverage deductibles work can help when comparing your options.
Do You Need Comprehensive Coverage for Oklahoma Weather?
Comprehensive coverage adds protection for many types of vehicle damage that liability insurance does not cover.
That includes covered losses from hail, flooding, wind-blown debris, falling trees and other weather events.
Whether comprehensive makes sense for your vehicle depends on factors such as its value, your deductible and how much protection you want for damage that happens outside of a collision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does comprehensive insurance cover hail damage in Oklahoma?
Yes. Comprehensive coverage can pay for covered body and glass damage caused directly by hail.
Does comprehensive insurance cover tornado damage?
Yes. Comprehensive coverage covers eligible vehicle damage caused directly by a tornado, wind-blown debris or falling objects.
Does comprehensive insurance cover flood damage?
Yes. Comprehensive coverage can cover vehicle damage caused directly by flooding.
Does my car have to be parked for weather damage to be comprehensive?
No. Comprehensive coverage can apply whether the vehicle is parked or being driven. What matters is that the weather directly caused the covered damage.
Protecting Your Vehicle From Oklahoma Weather
Hail, strong winds, flooding and severe storms can damage a vehicle in several ways.
Comprehensive coverage can protect against many of those losses when the weather directly causes covered damage.
Knowing what comprehensive covers can make it easier to review your policy before the next storm arrives.
Review Your Coverage
Want to see what adding comprehensive coverage could cost for your vehicle?
Start a quote with Save Money Car Insurance to compare coverage, deductibles and pricing.