Does home insurance cover tornado damage?
When a tornado strikes, here’s what home insurance will cover

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Tornadoes are a natural disaster that often cause significant destruction. Wind and hail are the leading causes of losses in home insurance claims, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Home insurance usually covers tornado damage, but not in every instance. Here's what you can expect from most home insurance policies for tornado damage.
Most homeowners insurance policies cover damage from a tornado.
Jump to insightWind and hail are the most common types of tornado damage and the leading causes of losses.
Jump to insightSome things aren’t covered, like if your home floods after a tornado.
Jump to insightWhat is home insurance?
Home insurance is a type of policy that covers damages to or loss of your home or belongings inside it in the event of an emergency. Natural disasters, like tornadoes, are typically covered, but the types of damage caused by storms vary — and not all damages and causes are covered.
Since not all home insurance policies cover all types of damage from storms and other disasters, it’s essential to check your policy to see what’s covered.
Tornado damage home insurance will cover
The latest figures the Insurance Information Institute has available show that in 2022, almost 41% of all losses were from wind and hail. The aftermath of tornado damage can be catastrophic, with wind and hail being the most common damage from tornadoes. Luckily, insurance covers it.
“Tornado damage should be covered if ‘wind damage’ is a covered peril,” Evan Walker, a personal injury attorney and property damage attorney in San Diego, told ConsumerAffairs. “Most homeowners policies cover wind, regardless of whether the policy is ‘all peril’ or ‘named peril.’”
When you see “named peril” in a policy, it means only the events listed in your policy are covered. If you see “all peril” or “all risk” policies, it means any event is covered unless it’s specifically excluded.
Home insurance will typically cover a few different types of tornado damage, including:
- Rebuilding or repairing your home from wind or hail resulting from or coinciding with a tornado
- Replacing destroyed personal belongings that were damaged as a result of a tornado
- Other damage to your home or property, like a tree falling on your car during a tornado
- Temporary housing and cost-of-living expenses if your home isn’t livable during repairs, like hotel or rental home reimbursements and meal coverage
Tornado damage not covered by home insurance
Not everything surrounding tornado damage is covered. Check your home insurance policy to see what's included.
Home insurance may not cover all damages caused by tornadoes, including:
- Flooding: This is the case even if the tornado caused massive flooding and damage to your home. For more comprehensive coverage, you’ll need a separate flood insurance policy; most flood insurance is written through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
- Fallen trees caused by lack of maintenance: For instance, if a tree on your property fell during the storm but was rotting and damaged, you might not be covered because you didn't address the issue promptly.
- Hazards not covered by the policy: Some standard homeowners insurance policies might not list windstorms like tornadoes as a covered hazard or “peril,” as you might see it called in your policy. If that's the case, your policy might not have tornado coverage.
Should I file a claim for tornado damage?
Home insurance may cover a lot of tornado damage, but not all damage resulting from a tornado may be covered. You may want to file a claim for tornado damage if:
- Your home or property was damaged from wind or hail that came from a tornado.
- A tornado damaged your belongings.
- Your home isn't livable and you need temporary housing assistance — like a hotel or rental home — until it is.
You may want to look for alternative coverage or avoid filing an insurance claim if:
- Your home insurance policy doesn’t cover windstorms.
- There was flooding that caused damage to your home or belongings, even if it was from a tornado.
- There’s damage not directly caused by the tornado — for example, a rotting tree falling on your home during the storm might be considered to be due to homeowner’s neglect, not tornado damage.
If you’re not sure if potential damage will be covered, talk to your home insurance representative and ask if it’s worth filing a claim.



FAQ
Will my insurance cover temporary housing if my home is uninhabitable?
Most insurance policies cover cost-of-living expenses, including temporary housing, when the policyholder’s home is temporarily uninhabitable because of tornado damage.
What should I do first after a tornado damages my home?
Once everyone is safe, you can start documenting the damage. Take notes and capture photos of the damage right away, and then contact your insurance company to open a claim.
Can my insurance company deny my tornado damage claim?
Your insurance company might deny tornado damage claims if the damage to your home or property isn’t covered in your policy. For instance, a tornado might have caused flooding in your home. Most standard policies don’t cover flooding; it requires a separate policy.
Bottom line
Most insurance policies cover tornado damage, especially damage from wind and hail. But not all policies cover the same things. And not all damage is directly influenced by tornadoes. It’s important to read over your policy regularly to make sure you’re covered in case of a tornado.
Article sources
- Insurance Information Institute, “Facts + Statistics: Homeowners and renters insurance.” Accessed Sept. 24, 2024.
- FEMA, “Flood Insurance.” Accessed Sept. 24, 2024.