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• Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Tornado Damage in Illinois?
• Does Renters Insurance Cover Tornado Damage?
• Does Car Insurance Cover Tornado Damage?
• Tornado Stats for Illinois
• How Much Does Tornado Insurance Cost?
• Is Tornado Insurance Required?
• Here’s How an Illinois Independent Insurance Agent Can Help

Your home needs protection against all kinds of threats, including several types of storms. If you’re not equipped with the proper coverage, you could end up having to pay for damage out of your own pocket. That’s why having homeowners insurance is so important.

Fortunately an Illinois independent insurance agent can help you get equipped with the right homeowners insurance to get the job done. They know exactly which kind of coverage you need, and they’ll get you set up with it long before you face a tornado. But first, here’s a closer look at homeowners insurance and tornado damage.

Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Tornado Damage in Illinois?

Yes, tornadoes are covered under standard homeowners insurance policies in Illinois in a couple of different ways. Homeowners insurance covers heavy wind damage to your home under these sections:

• Contents coverage: Your personal belongings inside your home, such as clothing and electronics, are covered against loss or damage due to tornado winds.
• Dwelling coverage: The structure of your home is also covered against damage or destruction by tornado winds.
• Additional living expenses: If a tornado damages your home badly enough to cause you to have to live elsewhere while awaiting completion of repairs, homeowners insurance also covers these expenses.

An Illinois independent insurance agent can further explain how homeowners insurance covers tornado damage.

Does Renters Insurance Cover Tornado Damage?

Yes, standard renters insurance policies cover tornado damage as well. Renters insurance covers your belongings stored in the rented property against damage or destruction caused by high winds, such as from tornadoes. Renters insurance policies also sometimes include additional living expenses coverage, in case you need to stay somewhere else while your home is being repaired. Have an Illinois independent insurance agent review your policy with you to be sure.

Does Car Insurance Cover Tornado Damage in Illinois?

According to insurance expert Paul Martin, your Illinois auto insurance will cover tornado damage if you purchased comprehensive coverage, which is optional. Comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle against threats other than collisions, including:

• Windstorms and hail
• Flood damage
• Theft
• Windshield breakage
• Riots and vandalism
• Fire

Without comprehensive coverage, you’d be stuck paying out of pocket for tornado damage to your vehicle, even if you carried other forms of car insurance. An Illinois independent insurance agent can help you find the right type of car insurance to protect against tornado damage and much more.

Tornado Stats for Illinois

Just how common are tornadoes in Illinois, as compared to other areas of the country? Check out the table below to see how your state stacks up.

While Illinois has fewer tornadoes per year than its surrounding states and other tornado-heavy areas of the US, it’s still subject to dozens of the storms annually. In fact, Illinois is sometimes considered to be part of Tornado Alley, which typically refers to Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.

How Much Does Tornado Insurance Cost in Illinois?

The tornado coverage in your homeowners insurance will be just a fraction of the entire policy’s premium. Homeowners insurance rates in Illinois average $1,056 per year. But homeowners insurance costs are determined by a number of factors, like:

• The age of your home’s construction
• Your exact location
• Prior claims history
• The condition of your home

An Illinois independent insurance agent can help find exact quotes and figures for home insurance in your town, and help determine how much the tornado coverage portion of the policy costs.

Is Tornado Insurance Required in Illinois?

Typically, no, tornado insurance by itself is not required. The insurance industry refers to tornadoes as windstorms, which are a covered peril under many standard forms of coverage, including homeowners insurance. There are a couple of natural disasters that require their own, separate coverage, like flood insurance and earthquake insurance. But in general, tornadoes should be included in a typical home insurance policy in Illinois.

An Illinois independent insurance agent can help explain the importance of having home insurance for your property. Aside from tornado damage, home insurance covers many disasters, including severe thunderstorms and lightning, fire, theft, vandalism, falling objects, and more. Without the right coverage, a tornado might not even be the greatest threat to your home. It’s crucial to have adequate protection in place from the very beginning.

Here’s How an Illinois Independent Insurance Agent Can Help

When it comes to protecting Illinois homeowners against tornado damage and all other threats, no one’s better equipped to help than an independent insurance agent. Illinois independent insurance agents search through multiple carriers to find providers who specialize in homeowners insurance, deliver quotes from a number of different sources, and help you walk through them all to find the best blend of coverage and cost.