Idaho Tornado Insurance
Find the right tornado insurance policy for you.
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Steve is a financial services expert who has dedicated himself to the insurance industry for the last 5+ years. Steve is a key contributor to TrustedChoice.com.
Although Idaho isn't as prone to tornadoes as, say, Oklahoma, twisters can and do touch down in the Gem State. In fact, among the intermountain states, Idaho experiences higher tornado touchdowns than any of its neighbors. Do you have proper tornado insurance protection? If not, it's something certainly worth considering. Before you search for tornado insurance quotes, however, there are several things to keep in mind.
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Tornado Facts and Statistics
- On average, Idaho experiences five tornadoes each year.
- Tornadoes are among the most expensive natural disasters.
- About 57 percent of all U.S. catastrophic losses are tornado-related.
- On average, two people died in Idaho each year as a result of tornado damage.
- Tornadoes cause more than $4.8 million in damage each year in Idaho.
What Is Tornado Insurance?
Unfortunately, you can't make a one-stop shopping trip for tornado insurance to protect your home, vehicles and other property. To properly protect yourself from the extensive damage tornadoes cause, you will have to carefully review all insurance policies you currently own or examine any potential policies you plan to purchase to make sure you have coverage in the event of a twister touchdown.
How Can You Protect Your Home from Tornadoes?
Unlike floods or hurricanes, tornadoes are generally covered under your typical ID homeowners insurance policy and do not require a separate endorsement, or rider. Because tornadoes cause so much damage, however, you should review your homeowners policy to make sure your coverage is sufficient if a tornado touchdown occurs.
It's a good idea to review the contents of your home and determine how expensive it would be to replace absolutely everything, including clothes, furniture, and tools. Most homeowners policies cap certain categories of items based on the total coverage amount of the policy. If you have a lot of expensive electronic equipment, artwork or collectibles or own anything of extraordinary value, you may need additional endorsements to cover them fully.
What if You're a Renter?
For those who rent their Idaho apartment, condo or townhome, it is important to carry renters insurance at an amount that will cover them in the event of a tornado. While your landlord or condo association will have a master policy in place to cover damage to the structure of your home should a tornado strike, this policy will not cover personal belongings kept inside the home. Just as you would if you owned your home, you should conduct an inventory of all your personal possessions. Their total value will give you an idea of how much contents coverage you should carry in the event a tornado destroys everything.
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Does Tornado Insurance Protect Your Car?
To protect yourself from tornado damage to your vehicle, you will need to put a comprehensive car or truck insurance policy in place. Simply carrying liability insurance will not provide you with reimbursements for typically extensive repairs following a tornado. Some Idaho twisters have been able to lift full-sized vehicles and toss them about like a child's toy. Only full coverage with comprehensive protection on your car or truck will prevent your vehicle from being a total loss if a twister strikes.
How Will Tornado Insurance Coverage Affect Your Insurance Quotes?
The quotes you receive from Idaho insurance companies that include coverage for extensive damage such as tornadoes will depend on a number of factors. The amount of coverage you choose and the type of policy you purchase will affect your quotes. The deductible you choose will also influence the quotes you receive.
Higher deductibles will yield you lower quotes on your premium, but it is wise to choose a deductible you can comfortably afford to pay should you need to file a claim due to tornado damage. Another factor that will determine your quotes is whether you choose actual cash value or replacement cost for the contents of your home, apartment, and vehicle.
- Actual cash value takes depreciation into account. For example, if a tornado completely damages your 10-year-old stove, this coverage will only pay the costs to replace a 10-year-old stove. The same holds true for your vehicle.
- Replacement cost value coverage ignores depreciation. Your insurer would replace that 10-year-old stove with a brand new one.
Quotes for ACV insurance policies will be lower than quotes for replacement cost policies, but unless you can make up the difference between the lower ACV reimbursement and RCV reimbursement, you may want to opt for the better protection at the higher rates.
Where Can You Find Tornado Insurance Coverage?
The last thing you want to worry about during a tornado is whether you have enough insurance to cover your losses. Knowledgeable independent insurance agents in our network are always here to help answer any questions you may have, suggest coverage options and even help you file a claim in the aftermath of a tornado.
Contact an agent in your area to find out how you can fully protect your home against tornado damage.