Does my car insurance cover damage caused by a natural disaster if I only have liability coverage?
If you have liability-only insurance, does insurance cover damage caused by a natural disaster? For natural disaster insurance coverage, you will need comprehensive or collision coverage, not just liability. These coverages are optional, but if you want to make sure your car is covered for natural disasters, you should consider them.
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Published Insurance Expert
Melanie Musson is the fourth generation in her family to work in the insurance industry. She grew up with insurance talk as part of her everyday conversation and has studied to gain an in-depth knowledge of state-specific insurance laws and dynamics as well as a broad understanding of how insurance fits into every person’s life, from budgets to coverage levels. Through her years working in th...
Melanie Musson
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Jeffrey Manola is an experienced insurance agent who founded TopQuoteLifeInsurance.com and NoMedicalExamQuotes.com. His mission when creating these sites was to provide online consumers searching for insurance with the most affordable rates available. Not only does he strive to provide consumers with the best prices for insurance coverage, but he also wants those on the market for insurance to ...
Jeffrey Manola
Updated February 2025
A natural disaster can bring many perils which could damage your car, and you may wonder how to file an auto insurance claim in such a circumstance. But what if you only have liability coverage? Will this be sufficient? We understand your anxiety and have researched your question.
- If you only have liability coverage, this will not be sufficient if a natural disaster damages your car
- In this case, you will need comprehensive or collision cover, depending on the circumstances
- Don’t forget to consider a deductible when you decide whether to claim
Car Insurance Won’t Cover Damage Caused by a Natural Disaster If You Only Have Liability Coverage
You will need either comprehensive or collision coverage on your policy if you want to claim for damage to your vehicle caused by a natural disaster. Your liability insurance will only pay for damage you may cause to third-party property if you were at fault in an accident.
Whether you claim against your comprehensive or collision coverage will depend on the circumstances. Liability coverage should pay for damage to the other vehicle.
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Comprehensive Insurance for Natural Disaster Coverage
Comprehensive insurance should cover damage to your vehicle not related to a crash. For example, it can cover damage from fire, falling objects, riots and similar destruction, vandalism, theft, and accidents with deer, birds, or other wild animals.
In addition, this insurance should cover your vehicle damage related to natural disasters like floods, wildfires, hailstorms, landslides, earthquakes, or hurricanes. However, look at the specific policy details for clarity. Find out more about affordable comprehensive auto insurance coverage.
Collision Insurance for Natural Disaster Coverage
Sometimes, collision insurance can pay for damage to your vehicle during bad weather associated with a natural disaster. In this case, if you lose control due to bad weather and hit another vehicle, collision insurance will pay for repairs to your car. Your liability coverage will pay for damage to the other vehicle.
To learn more about comprehensive and collision, you may read: “Comprehensive versus collision coverage: which is the more affordable choice?”
Getting Auto Insurance for Natural Disasters
Natural disasters come in different forms and are mostly unpredictable. However, experts are now quite good at accurately predicting the path of a landfalling hurricane.
So, it’s not unusual for people to rush to get comprehensive or collision coverage if these experts predict that a hurricane may hit their county. Unfortunately, some insurance companies will not accept any policy changes in such an area if it is under a hurricane warning.
Read more: Does auto insurance cover hurricane damage?
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Consider Your Deductible Before Making a Natural Disaster Insurance Claim
In most cases, a comprehensive insurance policy will also have a deductible. You may need to consider this to determine if paying for the repairs out of pocket would be better than absorbing the deductible.
Don’t forget that you may need to pay more for your insurance if you make a claim. You can learn more about deductibles by reading: “Auto insurance deductible: simply explained.”
Your Liability Coverage Will Not Be Enough if you Want to Claim for Damage Caused by a Natural Disaster
Your car insurance policy will not cover natural disaster damage when you only have liability coverage. Instead, you will need comprehensive or collision coverage, and don’t forget that you will also need to pay a deductible first.
You shouldn’t leave it until a natural disaster (like a hurricane) is imminent, as some companies might refuse to upgrade a policy in this situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is considered a natural disaster for insurance?
You should refer to your specific policy for details, but natural disasters typically include hurricanes, wildfires, thunderstorms, floods, and landslides.
Who do you transfer the risk to when you purchase insurance?
An insurance company will assume certain risks referred to as “stated and strictly defined” in this situation.
Does car insurance cover an Act of God?
Many people call a natural disaster an “act of God.” If the vehicle owner has comprehensive or collision insurance, they can contact their insurance company to help repair the vehicle.
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