Is Your Car Insured For Flood Damage?

Many cars and vehicles were caught in flash flooding, mud and muck this week in the Philadelphia area, television station WCAU reported. Now owners are faced with waterlogged cars that may just need a little drying out, or which may be a complete loss.

Jerry DeFrancesco, of Bala Motor Sports in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., spent a large part of his day Wednesday on the phone with insurance adjusters. His company towed about 25 cars off the Schuykill Expressway after heavy rains flooded the road. "Once they get water in them, there's nothing you can do. Just call the insurance company and get a new car," DeFrancesco said. "The problem is, there's so much electronics in a car today, that once the water gets in the electronics they total it out because the car is never gonna be right."

If flooding damaged your car, you may be wondering if you have the proper insurance. Just because you have auto insurance, that doesn't mean you are covered in the case of a flood.

According to Allstate insurance, a typical auto insurance policy will cover flood damage as long as the customer has elected comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive coverage is not mandatory coverage, so a customer must choose for the policy to cover this type of loss.

The best coverage, according to Allstate, is comprehensive coverage under a personal auto policy. Also, car owners may want to have rental reimbursement coverage in case a substitute vehicle is needed.

Allstate says you should dry your car out as quickly as possible to see exactly what has been damaged. Also, take your car to a mechanic as soon as you can, so he or she can figure out how much work needs to be done.