Did a tree or hail damage your car in KC storm? How to check if your insurance can help [The Kansas City Star]

Severe thunderstorms and flash floods hit the Kansas City metro on Friday afternoon, causing widespread damage to power lines, trees, homes and vehicles.

If your car suffered the blow of a fallen branch, hail or other debris, your insurance may be able to assist you with the cost of repairs. But, that depends on if you have a coverage plan that accounts for storms.

In both Missouri and Kansas, drivers are required to have some basic forms of coverage, including liability insurance to cover incidents when the driver causes harm.

If you pay for an insurance policy that only includes the types of coverage legally required to be on the road, you may be out of luck when it comes to storm damage. The mandatory liability coverage won’t cover if a tree squashed your car.

But, if you opted for a more robust policy that includes additional kinds of coverage, you may qualify for help.

You’ll want to check your specific insurance policy to look for the term “comprehensive coverage.”

What is comprehensive coverage?

The Kansas Insurance Department defines comprehensive coverage as insurance that “pays for damage to your auto resulting from windstorm, fire, hail, etc.” And the Missouri Department of Insurance says it’s, “Automobile insurance providing protection in case of physical damage suffered by the insured’s car, other than collision or theft. Example: Fire, Flood.”

Comprehensive coverage is there to cover damage to your car based on events that happen out of your control, like if your car was:

Damaged by debris sent in from high winds

Hit by lightning

Crushed by a falling object

Carried away by a flood

Broken due to a hailstorm

Damage from branches, trees and hail safely falls under this category in both Kansas and Missouri.

Some insurance plans may require you to pay a deductible before the comprehensive coverage kicks in to cover the rest.

You can contact your insurance company directly to file a claim.

And here are some other things to consider if the storm damaged your car, home or yard.

Safety comes first

If you encounter fallen trees, downed power lines or other dangerous conditions, safety always comes first. Shelter in place, but make a plan to leave any houses or other buildings that may have structural damage once the storm passes. Do not attempt to clean up heavy debris by yourself.

Stay away from any downed power lines, even if your electricity is out. Keep children and pets away from these hazards too. Here’s how to handle a power outage in Kansas City. You can report a power outage to Evergy by calling 888-544-4852.

Take photos of all damage and debris

Depending on your insurance, you may need photos or video to prove that damage occurred as a result of a storm. It never hurts to take pictures of any and all damage before you start cleaning up your yard or property. If you are a tenant, these photos can also help show your landlord what happened.

Never go near a downed power line or other hazard in order to get a photo. Take photos and video from a safe distance and show the extent of the damage done.

Report downed power lines, trees and other hazards

If a power line is down, the first step is to call Evergy and alert them of the situation. Then, call your local non-emergency dispatch number to report the hazard.

Jim Connelly with the Kansas City Office of Emergency Management recommended that if a tree falls on your house, you should evacuate if you can. You don’t want to be inside a house with structural damage in case it collapses.

If a tree that fell and caused damage was on your property, it’s your responsibility, Connelly said. It also falls on you to notify your insurance company. He recommended calling a tree removal company to help remove the fallen tree.

If you are a tenant, you should notify your landlord or the property owner right away. It is their responsibility to deal with the tree removal and insurance.

Connelly said Kansas City is responsible for the tree if it’s in the city’s right of way, which means the tree is on public property, like a sidewalk. This is determined by the city’s property lines, which can be found on the parcel viewer by searching your address.

If that’s the case, the next step is to report the fallen tree by calling 311, or reporting the tree online through the city’s MyKCMO portal. The city will send someone to investigate and will remove the tree if it’s a city tree.

This same idea extends beyond Kansas City into surrounding areas too. For example, in Overland Park, you can report a fallen city tree to OPCares.

Contact your city or county about disaster assistance

Your county or city may have assistance programs available to help with storm recovery. For instance, Wyandotte County offers emergency tree trimming services following severe weather incidents. They’ll lower power lines and provide tree trimming on a resident’s property when it’s not safe for the resident to do so on their own. Reach out to your county or city directly to learn more.

Watch out for home repair scammers

The Johnson County District Attorney’s office often warns residents to be wary of home repair scammers. It advised residents to contact a trusted local business for home repairs, and only give out insurance information to their own insurance companies.

“If a contractor cannot produce the required licenses or is unable to obtain the required permits, residents should take their business elsewhere,” the office wrote. Additionally, “out-of-state vehicle tags and unmarked vehicles are often indications of transient merchants who travel to damaged areas, collect money for repair services, and then leave the area before completing the promised repairs.”

If you have more questions following the storm, you can email [email protected].