Protect Your Car During a Hurricane – even in Chicago, this knowledge is essential for every driver. In Chicago, severe storms can strike unexpectedly, and the key to minimizing damage is parking in a safe location, securing your vehicle against flying debris, and making sure you have the right insurance coverage if damage occurs. Hurricanes are rare in Illinois, but heavy winds and floods from strong storms (even remnants of coastal hurricanes) have impacted Chicago in the past.
Call Insure on the Spot in Chicago at 773-202-5060 for expert guidance on protecting your vehicle and ensuring you’re properly covered.
How Can You Protect Your Car During a Hurricane in Chicago?
Chicago might not be on the coast, but our city can still face powerful storm conditions. High winds, heavy rain, and flooding can all damage your car. Here’s how to protect your vehicle when a hurricane or severe storm is on the way in the Chicago area:
- Park in a secure spot: If you have a garage or covered parking, use it. Parking your car indoors offers the best protection from wind, rain, and flying debris. No garage? Park on higher ground and avoid low-lying areas that flood easily. Stay away from big trees, poles, or anything that could topple onto your car.
- Shield your car from debris: Use a quality car cover if you have one, tightly secured so it won’t blow away. In a pinch, even placing thick blankets or rugs over your car (especially the windshield and hood) can cushion against hail or debris. Tape them down with painter’s tape along the edges of windows to help prevent shattered glass – this makes cleanup easier if a window does break.
- Remove valuables and important documents: Before the storm hits, take out any important documents (like insurance papers or registration) and valuables from your car. This way, if the worst happens, you won’t lose essential paperwork or personal items. Keep your insurance ID card with you in a waterproof bag.
- Fuel up and prep an emergency kit: Fill your gas tank ahead of time. In extreme weather, power outages can shut down gas pumps, and you might need to drive unexpectedly. It’s smart to have an emergency kit in your car, too – include a flashlight, phone charger, first-aid kit, basic tools, jumper cables, and a spare tire. These supplies can be a lifesaver if you must travel or if you get stuck after the storm.
By taking these steps, Chicago drivers can significantly reduce the risk of hurricane or storm damage to their cars. Preparation is key: once the storm begins, stay safely indoors and let your precautions do their job.
What If You Don’t Have a Garage? Tips for Chicago Street Parkers
Many Chicagoans rely on street parking, which can be challenging during hurricanes or intense storms. If you don’t have a garage or covered spot, follow these tips to safeguard your car:
- Choose your parking spot wisely: Park your car next to a sturdy building on the side away from the wind (if you know which direction heavy winds will come from). A building can act as a partial windbreak. Always avoid parking under large trees, traffic lights, or power lines – strong winds might bring them down. Also, steer clear of low-lying streets that frequently flood (in Chicago, viaducts and underpasses are known to collect water during downpours).
- Elevate and angle if possible: If you can, park on the highest point of the street or an incline. Even a few extra feet of elevation can protect your car from floodwaters. It’s also wise to park with your front end pointing away from the prevailing wind – this reduces the chance of wind-driven rain getting into the engine vents.
- Protect windows and mirrors: Just as with hail storms, you can shield your car’s glass. Lay thick blankets or even your car’s floor mats over the windshield and back window, and secure them with tape or by closing them in the doors. Fold in your side mirrors or cover them. This padding can help prevent cracked glass from flying debris. (Don’t forget to remove these coverings once the storm passes!)
- Secure your vehicle: Ensure all windows are completely closed and doors are locked. Sometimes high winds can pop open a partially closed door, so double-check them. Set your parking brake and consider placing wheel chocks (if you have them) to keep the car stationary on an incline.
After the storm, approach your street-parked car with caution. Look for any downed power lines or tree limbs around it. Document any damage with photos for insurance purposes. Chicago drivers without garages can still protect their cars by being proactive and smart about where and how they park when a hurricane or big storm looms.
Does Car Insurance Cover Hurricane Damage in Illinois?
Illinois law requires drivers to carry minimum liability insurance (at least 25/50/20 coverage). However, liability coverage will not pay for damage to your own car from a hurricane or any other natural disaster. To have your car protected from storm damage, you need comprehensive coverage as part of your auto insurance policy.
Comprehensive coverage is optional in Illinois (unless required by a lender for financed cars), but it’s highly recommended for full protection. This portion of your policy covers “acts of God” and non-collision events, including damage from hurricanes and severe weather. If you carry comprehensive insurance, hurricane-related damage is typically covered (after you pay your deductible).
- Flood and water damage: If streets flood from torrential rain and water causes damage to your engine or interior, comprehensive coverage steps in. Chicago’s river and drainage systems can overflow in extreme storms (for instance, the remnants of Hurricane Ike in 2008 caused significant flooding in Illinois). With comprehensive insurance, such flood damage to your car would be covered.
- Wind and debris damage: Hurricanes and severe thunderstorms bring strong winds that can send debris flying. If a tree falls on your car or wind tosses objects that crack your windshield or dent the body, comprehensive coverage pays for the repairs. It also covers damage from tornadoes, which are not common in Chicago proper but can occur in Illinois.
- Hail or falling objects: Illinois storms often bring hail. Comprehensive insurance will cover dented panels or shattered glass from hailstones. Similarly, if a piece of building material or signage gets blown down onto your vehicle, you’d be protected.
Keep in mind that you must have comprehensive coverage in place before a storm is on the immediate horizon. You generally cannot buy new coverage at the last minute when a hurricane warning is already issued, as insurers may temporarily halt new policies or additions during such high-risk times. Plan ahead during storm season: review your policy with an agent to ensure you have the right coverage. Also, remember that filing a claim will involve your deductible – for example, if you have a $500 deductible, that amount will be your out-of-pocket cost before insurance pays the rest of the damage.
Do Hurricane Claims Affect Auto Insurance Rates in Chicago?
You might wonder if filing a claim for hurricane or storm damage will make your insurance rates go up. The answer can depend on the situation and your insurance company’s policies. Generally, claims for natural disasters (covered under comprehensive coverage) are considered not your fault. One isolated comprehensive claim for something like flood or wind damage usually has little to no impact on your premium. Insurers understand that you can’t prevent the weather. So if a falling tree branch or flash flood damages your car, you won’t typically be penalized as you might be for an at-fault accident.
However, multiple claims or widespread disaster claims could affect what you pay over time. If you file several claims in a short period (even comprehensive ones), your insurer may see you as a higher risk and could raise your rate or remove a claims-free discount. Additionally, after a major catastrophic event, insurance companies often adjust their overall rates in affected areas.
For example, if a hurricane (or a massive storm) caused extensive car damage across Illinois, the following year’s premiums for comprehensive coverage might increase for everyone in the region to offset the large number of payouts. The good news for Chicago drivers is that we’re not in a high-risk hurricane zone, so we don’t experience the dramatic post-hurricane rate jumps that coastal areas do.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What’s the minimum auto insurance required in Illinois?
A: Illinois requires at least 25/50/20 liability coverage. That means $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury to others, and $20,000 for property damage. This minimum coverage helps you drive legally, but it won’t cover your own car’s damage – for that, you’d need additional coverage like collision or comprehensive.
Q: Does car insurance cover hurricane or flood damage to my car?
A: Comprehensive insurance is the part of your car insurance that covers hurricane, flood, or other natural disaster damage. If you have comprehensive coverage on your policy, it will pay for repairs or replacement if a storm floods your car or if debris and wind cause damage. Without comprehensive coverage, your insurance won’t cover weather-related damages, and you’d have to pay for repairs out of pocket.
Q: Will a storm damage claim increase my insurance premium?
A: Filing a comprehensive claim for storm damage generally won’t raise your premium as much (or at all) compared to an accident claim. Insurance companies usually don’t penalize drivers for events outside their control, like weather. However, if you file multiple claims or if a huge disaster leads to many payouts in your area, you could see premiums inch up over time.
Q: How can I protect my car if I have to park on the street during a storm?
A: If you don’t have a garage, try to park on high ground and away from trees or power lines. You can cover your windshield and windows with blankets or floor mats to shield against debris (secure them so they won’t blow away). Fold in your mirrors and make sure the car is fully closed and locked.
Q: Are hurricanes common in Chicago, Illinois?
A: No, true hurricanes don’t hit Chicago – by the time tropical storms reach Illinois, they’ve lost hurricane strength. However, Chicago does experience intense storms that can bring similar hazards like flooding, strong wind gusts, and tornado spin-offs. For example, remnants of Gulf hurricanes have caused heavy rain in Illinois before.
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