Virginia Tornado Insurance
Tornadoes are among the costliest natural disasters that can affect the United States.
Written by
Jessica Huneck is an insurance writer from TrustedChoice.com. She began her writing career in 2011 and has since earned herself a bachelor's degree in English writing.
Do you need tornado insurance in Virginia? You may not need to look for quotes on extra tornado insurance if you already have the right homeowners, auto and business coverage. But it always pays to be sure. Tornadoes are among the costliest natural disasters that can affect the United States, and they can touch down anywhere. Virtually every state has experienced tornado activity at least once since 1950. While Virginia is not located within the confines of the area commonly known as "Tornado Alley," insurance against these natural disasters is an important consideration for residents of this state. Tornadoes have the potential to destroy homes, businesses, vehicles, and personal property.
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Virginia Tornado Statistics
- VA is the 29th most likely state to experience tornado damage.
- Between 1950 and 1994, 279 tornadoes touched down in Virginia.
- These 279 tornadoes led to:
- $124.7 million in damages
- 460 injuries
- 25 fatalities
- VA averages about 7 tornadoes a year.
- The most tornadoes ever to strike VA in a single year was 28 in 1993.
- The deadliest tornado in VA history was in Rye Cove in 1929; 13 people were killed.
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What Is Tornado Insurance?
Tornado insurance is not a standalone policy. You cannot call an insurance company and request a tornado insurance policy. Rather, this coverage is something that is frequently included in the policies you already have, such as your home, business or auto insurance. In some cases, however, this coverage is optional or limited, and may require an additional endorsement, so it is important that you confirm whether or not it is included in your current coverage.
The cost to add this coverage to a home or business insurance policy is not excessive, as you will discover when you compare quotes for tornado insurance. Most importantly, this coverage has the potential to save you thousands of dollars if you are unfortunate enough to have property within a tornado’s path.
Tornado Insurance Covers Damages to Homes
Tornadoes can be extremely destructive. If your home is in the way of one of these powerful windstorms, you can expect that it will experience significant damages. Even the mildest of tornadoes can destroy roofs. Flying debris can damage windows or siding and uprooted trees can crash into your home, causing severe structural damages.
It is to your benefit to ensure that your homeowners insurance policy includes coverage against tornadoes, particularly if you have a named-peril type policy. Even if you do not own the building in which you live, such as if you are a renter or condo owner, this coverage can be very important, as roof and window damage can lead to the destruction of the personal property within your home.
So long as tornado insurance coverage is included in your home policy, you can expect to be compensated for damages to your property as well as to the structure of the building, if you are a homeowner. Additionally, most home and renters insurance policies include coverage for temporary living arrangements if damages caused by a covered event render your home uninhabitable. Make sure to speak with your insurance agent if you are confused about what is covered on your policy.
Tornado Insurance Protects Virginia-Based Businesses
If you are one of the many entrepreneurs who own a business in this state, you may already have a commercial insurance policy in place to protect your company from undue financial losses. In nearly all instances, tornado insurance coverage is included as part of a standard business insurance policy, but there are cases when it is not included. Be sure to check your policy carefully to ensure that tornado damage is not listed among your policy’s exclusions. If it is, you may need to purchase a tornado coverage rider or shop around for a better policy if you want to have coverage against twisters.
Because tornado damage can be quite extensive, your company may need to temporarily close or halt operations for an extended period of time while necessary repairs are made. If you have loss-of-income coverage as one of the coverage options in your business insurance policy, your insurer can provide your company with the income necessary to pay bills and employee salaries until it can successfully reopen for business, up to the limits of your policy.
If you aren't sure whether you have the right coverage to protect your business from wind damage, you can get help from a local agent. Independent agents write more business policies than any other brand, because they can customize a policy just for your business.
Tornado Insurance Covers Damages to Vehicles
Your car, truck or SUV is also vulnerable to the mighty destruction of a tornado. Vehicles that are parked or pulled-over outside can face damage from uprooted trees, downed streetlights or flying debris. Vehicles parked in indoor garages may be destroyed by a resultant fire or a building collapse. The only way to insure against this sort of damage is by including comprehensive coverage with your auto insurance policy.
Comprehensive coverage can provide you with compensation for nearly every imaginable non-collision related event that may damage your automobile, including wind damage from a tornado.
If you are still making payments on your car or truck, you probably already have comprehensive coverage, since most lenders require you to carry this additional coverage for the life of your loan. However, once your vehicle is paid off, this coverage is optional. If you have a very basic policy that only meets your state liability requirements, you will not be covered. In this case, you may want to request some quotes for comprehensive coverage to see if the additional cost is manageable, and if so, add this flexible coverage to your policy.
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Get Quotes on Tornado-Proof Policies
When it comes to tornado insurance, the independent insurance agents in the Trusted Choice® network can be an excellent resource. A local agent right here in Virginia can help you determine what tornado coverage you have, what coverage you need and what options are available to you. Allow one of these insurance professionals to review your current policies. If you are lacking in coverage against this severe storm damage, your agent may be able to help you supplement your policy, or find another policy that is better suited to your lifestyle.
Contact a Virginia-based Trusted Choice agent near you, so you can start comparing tornado insurance quotes, and feel more confident about your insurance decisions.