Standard homeowners insurance usually covers tornado damage caused by wind, hail, and severe events like tornadoes. However, coverage specifics vary depending on where your home is located and the exact cause of damage.
If you live inland, windstorm and hail coverage are generally included in your policy. But if your home is in a coastal or high-risk area, wind damage might be excluded altogether. You may be able to add it as an endorsement to your home policy through your current insurer. Otherwise, you can purchase it separately from a private insurer or state-run wind pool. You might also have a higher, percentage-based deductible for storm claims rather than the standard flat-dollar deductible that applies to most other claims.
What does homeowners insurance cover for tornado damage?
A homeowners insurance policy is made up of several coverage types. These four may apply after tornado damage:
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Dwelling coverage (Coverage A): Pays to repair or rebuild the main structure of your home after covered tornado damage, including damage to your foundation, roof, walls, or attached garage.
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Other structures coverage (Coverage B): Helps pay for damage to structures that aren’t attached to your home, such as fences, decks, sheds, barns, swimming pools, and detached garages.
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Personal property coverage (Coverage C): Helps pay to repair or replace covered belongings a tornado damages or destroys, such as furniture, clothing, appliances, and electronics.
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Loss of use coverage (Coverage D): Covers additional living expenses while your home is uninhabitable because of covered tornado damage. This can include hotel stays, restaurant meals, laundry services, and pet boarding.
Are there situations where tornado damage isn't covered?
While tornado damage is generally covered, there are exceptions, or exclusions, where your policy may not cover damage from a tornado.
Some homeowners policies in coastal or particularly high-risk areas exclude windstorm damage or require separate wind coverage. However, it's uncommon in tornado-prone areas like the Midwest and Great Plains. These wind-based exclusions are generally geared toward hurricane damage rather than tornadoes.
Still, it’s always a good idea to check your policy rather than assuming your coverage is the same as someone else’s in your area.
Water damage is another important distinction. If wind from the tornado damages your roof, causing water to enter your home, your homeowners policy will typically cover the resulting water damage. But home insurance does not cover flood damage. If heavy rain during a tornado outbreak causes water to rise and enter your home from outside, the damage generally isn’t covered by standard homeowners insurance.
You can purchase separate flood insurance to cover damage from flooding, storm surge, or rising water.
Homeowners insurance also generally doesn’t cover damage caused by poor maintenance or pre-existing problems, like an aging roof.
What deductible applies to tornado damage?
A deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket when filing a covered claim with your insurer. Your insurer may apply a standard flat-dollar deductible or a separate, percentage-based wind/hail deductible for tornado damage, depending on where you live and your policy.
Separate wind and hail deductibles are common where severe hail and windstorms occur more often, such as the Midwest and Tornado Alley. Deductibles are typically 1%-5% of your home’s insured value. For example, a 2% deductible on $400,000 in dwelling coverage would be $8,000 ($400,000 x 0.20).
A hurricane or named-storm deductible usually isn’t the same thing as a tornado damage deductible. Those deductibles are for hurricanes or other qualifying named tropical systems under the terms of your policy. A tornado doesn’t qualify as a named storm, so a tornado loss is generally subject to a standard or wind/hail deductible, rather than a named-storm or hurricane deductible.
Check your declarations page, which summarizes the important details of your policy, to see which deductible applies to wind damage for your home.
What happens if a tornado destroys your home?
If a tornado completely destroys your home, you’ll have the option to file a tornado insurance claim for the covered damage. Your insurance company will evaluate the total loss and determine the amount payable under your policy.
When you sign up for home insurance, you can choose to insure your home’s structure based on its actual cash value (ACV) or replacement cost value (RCV). ACV accounts for depreciation, meaning your insurer can deduct age and normal wear and tear from the amount to rebuild your home. RCV doesn’t; it pays the cost to repair or replace damaged property with similar materials at today’s prices, up to your policy limit.
Construction costs can change over time, especially in places where materials and labor supply and demand can change rapidly after a catastrophic event like a tornado. Your dwelling coverage limit should be high enough to rebuild your home after a total loss to prevent you from being underinsured.
Adding extended RCV coverage or an inflation guard endorsement can help keep up with rising construction costs. An endorsement changes an insurance policy by adding, modifying, or removing coverage. Extended RCV coverage availability varies by policy type and insurance company.
Some insurers may offer RCV coverage on belongings, which means you’d be able to replace your personal property at today’s prices without factoring in depreciation. If your policy includes loss of use coverage, it can help cover temporary housing costs throughout the rebuild, up to your coverage limits.
How to file a tornado damage claim
If a tornado damages your home, take these steps to file a storm damage claim:
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Make sure everyone is safe. Don’t enter severely damaged areas until they’re safe to access.
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Document the damage. When it’s safe, take photos and video of the home, roof, detached structures, and damaged belongings before cleanup or repairs. Don’t throw anything away until your insurer tells you to.
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Identify the type of damage. Note whether the loss appears to involve wind, flooding, or both. The cause of loss can affect which coverage and deductible apply.
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Prevent further damage if possible. Cover broken windows and doors, or arrange emergency roof protection like tarping, until your insurer can assess the damage. In many cases, insurers will cover the cost of materials used to prevent further home damage.
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Contact your insurance company promptly. Give an accurate description of what happened and the damage you can see. Provide as much detail as possible.
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Keep receipts and records. Save invoices and receipts for emergency repairs, cleanup, temporary housing, meals, and other eligible expenses.
Frequently asked questions
What two events are not covered under homeowners insurance?
Flooding and earthquake damage are two events that are generally not covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy. Flood damage requires separate flood insurance, while earthquake insurance is available separately or as a policy add-on in some states.
Will a storm damage claim make your rates go up?
It can, but it’s not automatic. Insurers may consider your claims history when determining your premium (the amount you pay for insurance) along with factors such as loss trends in your area. Whether a particular claim affects your rate varies by insurer and state. But that shouldn’t discourage you from reporting a legitimate claim when you need help recovering from tornado or storm damage.
What should you know before talking to your insurer about a tornado claim?
Be honest and as accurate as possible when describing what happened and what was damaged. Withholding information or misrepresenting factors can jeopardize your claim, so there isn’t a legitimate reason to leave relevant information out. If you’re unsure about the cause of a particular type of damage or the cost of a repair, it’s better to say so than to guess. Your insurer will conduct a professional loss assessment.
