Who pays for damaged buildings, contents, motor vehicles, additional living expenses or water intrusion after a tornado? Different types of insurance may cover each of these losses.
We reviewed Public Safety Canada’s tornado-preparedness guide, the Northern Tornadoes Project’s Canadian tornado map and research, the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s wind and hail coverage guide, and the Canadian Red Cross insurance-recovery guide.
Does Insurance Cover Tornado Damage?
Damage from a single tornado may result in coverage under different types of insurance and more than one claim.
Home, condo and tenant insurance typically cover wind damage, subject to policy limits, deductibles and exclusions. Storm damage to a car is typically covered only with comprehensive or all-perils coverage.
Assessing water damage depends on its source, such as sewer backup, overland water or water that entered through a wind-created hole.
Does Home Insurance Protect Against Tornado Damage?
Residential and commercial insurance typically covers damage from hail or wind. Damage from debris or fallen trees is generally covered, as is water damage that enters through storm-related damage.
Read More: See How Home and Auto Insurance Treat Storm Damage
What’s Covered by Your Home Insurance Policy?
| Damaged property or cost | Coverage to check | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| House, garage, shed or fence | Dwelling and detached-structure coverage | Policy limits, deductibles, maintenance requirements, basis of settlement and excluded property |
| Furniture and personal belongings | Contents coverage | Proof of ownership; special limits for certain kinds of property; terms governing replacement-cost coverage |
| Tenant belongings | Tenant contents coverage | The landlord’s policy covers the building, not the tenant’s belongings. |
| Temporary accommodation and extra meals | Additional living expenses | Costs are subject to cause, time and amount limits. |
| Car or truck | Comprehensive or all-perils auto coverage | Optional coverage, deductibles and vehicle-policy terms |
| Rain through a storm-created opening | Wind-related property coverage may respond | Document the opening that allowed the water to enter. |
What Happens if You Have to Evacuate?
Some policies cover additional living expenses if an insured loss renders your home uninhabitable. Some also provide limited coverage if you’re forced to leave your home because of a mass-evacuation order. However, there is no standard “14-day” rule. Coverage depends on your policy.
If you are displaced and it’s safe to do so, call your insurer before booking an extended hotel stay. Keep copies of the evacuation order, hotel bills, food receipts and information on normal household expenses.
Read More: Learn Which Insurance Gaps an Evacuation Can Expose
Does Home Insurance Pay Your Living Expenses?
Coverage may pay for increases in expenses, not total expenses. For example, if normal daily household expenses are $100 and allowable evacuation expenses are $250, the increase is $150.
Allowable expenses are subject to category-specific limits, documentation requirements and policy limits.
Can Home Insurance Cover Spoiled Food?
Food that spoils because of a covered power interruption may be covered. Limits and deductibles vary, and some policies do not cover spoiled food.
If safe to do so, take photos of the food before disposing of it. Make a list of the items thrown away and keep receipts and other records.
Does Home Insurance Protect My Car From Tornadoes?
No, your home insurance policy would not cover your car. Comprehensive or all-perils coverage, which is optional on most auto policies, covers non-collision damage such as wind, hail or falling objects, subject to the auto-policy terms and deductible.
Read More: See How Comprehensive Car Insurance Works in Ontario
Do You Need Additional Tornado-Related Coverage?
Tornado damage falls under the wind coverage in a home, condo or tenant insurance policy. Tornado coverage isn’t available as a stand-alone policy. Home insurance policies cover fires, theft, liability and many other perils. It’s not required by law in most provinces, but lenders often require it.
The Northern Tornadoes Project tracks tornadoes documented across Canada. Its map provides a resource for examining tornado activity in your area.
Find out more about wind deductibles and insurance coverage in your area.
Questions to Ask About Tornado Coverage
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is there a separate wind or hail deductible? | It changes the amount you pay before coverage responds. |
| Is the roof settled at replacement cost or a depreciated amount? | The condition and age of the roof can affect how much is paid on a claim. |
| Will the policy match undamaged siding or shingles? | Some policy language limits payment to the item that was physically damaged. |
| Are debris removal and building-code upgrades inside or outside the main limit? | A total loss can exhaust a shared limit. |
| How are trees, fences, pools and outdoor property treated? | Certain items may have individual limits or excluded causes. |
| What water endorsements do I have? | Wind-driven rain, sewer backup and overland water are different causes. |
| For a condo, what can the corporation assess to my unit? | The unit policy’s deductible-assessment and loss-assessment limits may be relevant. |
Making a Home Insurance Claim After a Tornado
- Don’t re-enter until officials say it is safe. Stay at least 10 metres away from fallen power lines and anything they may be touching.
- When it is safe, do what you can to prevent further damage, such as placing tarps over holes in the roof. Take pictures or videos from a safe area before moving anything or making temporary repairs. Save invoices for work done to limit the damage.
- Call your insurer or broker as soon as possible to ask about deductibles, temporary housing, next steps and the information they need. Do not dispose of damaged items unless they are dangerous or your insurer says it is acceptable.
- Ask your insurer before authorizing permanent repairs unless immediate work is needed to protect the property. List damaged property, including its age, make, model and proof of ownership.
- Review the adjuster’s documentation carefully, including the scope, basis of settlement, depreciation, deductible and limits. Get a written explanation of excluded amounts.
- Keep a record of additional expenses, such as repairs, hotels, meals, transportation and cleanup. Monitor normal expenses to determine your additional out-of-pocket costs.
Read More: Read What to Do About Home Insurance Claim Delays
Preparing for Tornadoes
- Know how to turn off utilities and keep an emergency kit, medications, footwear and phone chargers available. Stay up to date with alerts.
- Have a safe place in your home, such as a basement or a small interior ground-floor room away from windows. Don’t shelter under highway overpasses, and keep windows closed during storms.
- Maintain your home, including garage doors, roofing, trees and attachments. If given adequate time, secure loose objects outside.
- Take photos of your home’s rooms and valuables, and keep a copy off-site. Know your deductible, your insurance company’s emergency contact information and whether you have additional water coverage.
