With hurricane season from June 1 to November 30 every year, here’s what you need to know about car insurance and these often damaging storms.

Two basics everyone should be aware of:

  • You need to buy coverage before a storm warning is issued.
  • If you want your auto insurance company to cover any damage to your vehicle after a hurricane, you’ll need collision and comprehensive coverage.

Collision covers your car if it’s hit, or hits, another car or object. So, if the rain from the storm causes you to hydroplane and crash your car, you could make a collision claim. However, most vehicle damage from hurricanes and tropical storms is from winds and water. In that case, your car would be covered under comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive covers your car for damages due to flood waters, hail and other natural occurrences — such as hurricane-force wind gusts. That means comprehensive coverage will also cover if your car is flipped and damaged by strong winds.

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Written by:
Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
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Reviewed by:
John McCormick
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Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.

How much do collision and comprehensive cost?

The average annual cost for collision coverage is $723, and comprehensive costs an average of $263 a year, according to a 2023 analysis of rates.

According to NOAA’s Hurricane Research Division, the top three states for hurricanes are Florida at No. 1, Texas at No. 2 and Louisiana at No. 3. Other states where significant hurricanes make landfall: North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, New York, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Comprehensive coverage rates in these states tend to be higher than the average. Here’s how much comprehensive coverage will cost you in the most hurricane-prone states:

  1. Florida: $204
  2. Texas: $310
  3. Louisiana: $466

See the table below for comprehensive and collision rates in each state.

Comprehensive vs. Collision Insurance cost
State Avg. comprehensive premium Avg. collision premium Avg. combined premium
Alabama$196$600$796
Alaska$145$592$737
Arizona$187$573$760
Arkansas$297$658$955
California$136$968$1,104
Colorado$438$600$1,038
Connecticut$117$560$677
Delaware$157$627$784
Florida$204$582$786
Georgia$174$561$735
Hawaii$137$550$687
Idaho$137$464$601
Illinois$185$684$869
Indiana$192$573$765
Iowa$366$423$789
Kansas$483$514$997
Kentucky$266$657$923
Louisiana$466$918$1,384
Maine$108$488$596
Maryland$173$886$1,059
Massachusetts$234$736$970
Michigan$750$1,740$2,490
Minnesota$295$636$931
Mississippi$272$561$833
Missouri$505$1,009$1,514
Montana$443$605$1,048
Nebraska$663$627$1,290
Nevada$163$662$825
New Hampshire$113$468$581
New Jersey$131$665$796
New Mexico$224$631$855
New York$191$658$849
North Carolina$167$641$808
North Dakota$401$502$903
Ohio$121$508$629
Oklahoma$424$674$1,098
Oregon$102$493$595
Pennsylvania$204$634$838
Rhode Island$142$765$907
South Carolina$319$452$771
South Dakota$735$458$1,193
Tennessee$184$567$751
Texas$310$694$1,004
Utah$147$729$876
Vermont$180$541$721
Virginia$142$532$674
Washington$134$459$593
Washington, D.C.$218$852$1,070
West Virginia$269$567$836
Wisconsin$268$803$1,071
Wyoming$583$793$1,376

Why do you need more than minimum liability to cover storm damage?

A car insurance policy that consists only of your state’s minimum liability coverages wouldn’t help if high winds tip a tree onto your car or floodwaters seep into your vehicle. That’s because bodily injury liability and property damage liability only cover others’ injuries and property damage — they don’t offer any protection for your own vehicle.

Liability insurance can play a role in helping you if someone is injured in a crash, but won’t likely help you if your car is damaged during a storm.

Buy coverage before storm warnings go into effect

The National Hurricane Center, or NHC, says a hurricane or tropical storm warning is issued when weather conditions are anticipated in an area within 36 hours. A storm watch is issued when hurricane- or tropical-storm-force winds are possible within 48 hours.

This NHC information is significant because you need to buy comprehensive and collision coverage before a tropical storm watch/warning goes into effect. Otherwise, you may be out of luck – insurers can place restrictions on policy changes during a storm.

Other restrictions to note:

  • Most car insurance companies put temporary binding restrictions into effect in areas under a hurricane or tropical storm watch/warning. When the restrictions go into effect and how long they last vary by the insurance company, as is what is restricted.
  • Restrictions can also vary by state but typically can include not accepting any applications for new coverage and not accepting requests for the addition of physical damage coverages, increased limits or lowering deductibles on existing policies.
  • Restrictions typically go into effect when an area goes into a tropical storm watch/warning, lasting until 48 to 72 hours after the watch/warning ends.
  • If you have auto insurance in force that is set to expire during hurricane season, it’s best to renew or shop around to purchase a new auto insurance policy early so a binding restriction won’t come into play.
  • If you are buying a new car, try to avoid purchasing it if a storm is approaching and could restrict your ability to buy the car insurance coverage that you need.

If your car is damaged during a hurricane or tropical storm, take pictures of the damage once it’s safe to venture outdoors and contact your auto insurance provider to make a claim.

Your auto insurer will likely tell you to prevent further loss, such as covering smashed windows or placing a tarp on your car. Not doing so could result in additional damage that your insurer won’t cover.

How car insurance covers flood damage to your car

Often, hurricanes mean flooding. Here’s how the different types of insurance coverage come into play if you’re caught in a flood:

  • Comprehensive coverageIf your vehicle sustains water or flood damage, you can file a claim under your comprehensive insurance coverage, which covers any damage to your car up to its actual cash value caused by natural disasters.
  • Collision coverageCollision comes into play if you hydroplane and flip your car or hit another car or a tree. Your claim will pay to repair your vehicle or will pay the actual cash value of the car.
  • Gap insuranceThis type of insurance comes into play if your car is totaled and you owe more money on your car than it’s worth — gap insurance will pay the difference. You can get gap coverage from your car insurance or financing company, but it’s usually more expensive from your lender.
  • Rental car reimbursementIf you have a second car or a way to get where you need to go without your car, you don’t need rental coverage. But if you’d be stranded for weeks while your car is being repaired, it may pay to have it.

– Michelle Megna contributed to this story.

Resources & Methodology

Sources

Statista. “Number of hurricanes that made landfall in the United States from 1851 to 2020, by state.” Accessed September 2022.

Methodology

CarInsurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to pull rates in 2022 for a 40-year-old male driving a Honda Accord LX with a good driving record and full coverage insurance (100/300/100 and a $500 deductible).

Laura Longero

Ask the Insurance Expert

Laura Longero

Executive Editor

Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

John McCormick

Ask the Insurance Expert

John McCormick

Editorial Director

John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.

Leslie Kasperowicz

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Leslie Kasperowicz

Managing Editor

Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.

Nupur Gambhir

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Nupur Gambhir

Managing Editor

Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.

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author image
Executive Editor

Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.