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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Flood Damage and Your Texas Auto Insurance

By Amy Kitchel


When thinking about all the reasons you should carry good car insurance, protections against flooding and damage caused by a flood is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Living in Texas, where torrential rainfall often causes flash flooding and where you can often find yourself in the path of a hurricane or other natural disaster, looking into flood coverage for your insurance is smart and important.

Risks involved with flooding - Most people don't know that over 90% of natural disasters involve flooding. From torrential rainfall in extreme thunderstorms to storm surge in the event of a hurricane, living in a state with such extreme weather as Texas you and your vehicle are likely to encounter some type of flooding.

The damage to your vehicle caused by flooding can be more serious than you think. Rising floodwaters around your car can damage not only its body, causing damage to your cars exterior aesthetic, a flood can also cause catastrophic problems in the electrical wiring under the hood. Exposure for long periods of time to water, especially to salt water, will cause problematic deterioration through rust and other mechanical issues.

Long term exposure to any water, especially to salt water, will start your car on a path to slow deterioration through rust and mechanical problems. In addition, if you leave your windows or sunroof open or if water seeps into your vehicles interior somehow it is likely to suffer what insurance companies call a total loss, where nothing is salvageable and the vehicle needs to be totally replaced.

Avoiding Risk - You can take preventative steps to lower your chances of suffering flood damage, especially when you live where extreme weather is known to cause flooding - it happens in all 50 States, so you may be at risk for flooding and not even know it.

Always make sure that you keep your windows, sun roof and trunk shut whenever your vehicle is parked. Seal off the interior of your car in this way and you can perhaps avoid some of the costly interior damage caused by flooding. When you know a storm is coming, move your car so that it is parked on high ground. Also, if your car is parked in a garage usually you should install a garage pump system to help get any extra water out in a flood.

When driving in extreme weather don't take any unnecessary risks. Pull over on high ground to ride out flash flooding and never try and drive through a flooding street or a dip in the road that may have filled with water. Standing water on the road can be much deeper than it appears and cause serious damage to your vehicle if you attempt to drive through it.

Get covered - The best way to be sure that you are protected from flood damage is to add comprehensive coverage to your auto insurance policy. Comprehensive coverage means just that; you are totally covered from all potential problems your vehicle might encounter in the world, including natural disasters and flooding.

Liability only insurance coverage that is mandated by the State not sufficient to cover your car from flood damage. Be smart and be prepared; call your Texas auto insurance company and find out what your coverage limits are and what you need to do to get covered in the event of a flood. On average you will pay 100-$200 extra per year to add comprehensive coverage to an auto insurance policy.

It is also important to know that most insurance companies restrict your ability to purchase insurance when there is an approaching storm. Don't wait until the last minute, contact your Texas auto insurance company now and make sure you are covered.

If you experience flood damage get in touch with your Texas auto insurance company quickly. Time is one of the most important factors in a flood auto insurance claim. By getting your claim in early you can help expedite its resolution. Take pictures and make records of any and all the damage caused by the flood, then start drying your vehicle out as soon as you are able.




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