Oklahoma Insurance Professionals LLC Blog |
 June through August in Oklahoma is a good reminder that the weather here does not take a summer vacation. Storms in July can drop baseball-sized hail. August can bring straight-line winds that push 80 miles per hour before the radar even catches up. If you own a home here long enough, you are going to file a storm claim at some point. The question worth knowing the answer to ahead of time is what your policy actually covers when it happens. Here is a straightforward look at what a standard homeowners policy covers during a summer storm in Oklahoma, and where the gaps tend to show up. Wind and Hail DamageWind and hail are the two most common reasons Oklahoma homeowners file claims after a summer storm, and both are covered under a standard homeowners policy. That includes damage to your roof, siding, windows, gutters, and in most cases, exterior doors. What most people do not realize until after a storm is that wind and hail coverage often comes with its own deductible — separate from your regular deductible. In Oklahoma, wind and hail deductibles are common, and they are usually calculated as a percentage of your home's insured value rather than a flat dollar amount. On a $350,000 home with a 2% wind and hail deductible, you are looking at $7,000 out of pocket before insurance pays anything. Is your wind and hail deductible a flat amount or a percentage? It matters more than most people think. If you are not sure what your deductible looks like, that is worth a phone call before storm season gets going. Give us a call and we can walk through your declarations page with you. Lightning Strikes and Power SurgesA direct lightning strike to your home is covered. So is the fire that can follow if the strike causes one. What people are less sure about is whether their electronics are covered when a nearby strike sends a power surge through the wiring. The short answer is yes, in most cases. A standard homeowners policy covers sudden and accidental damage from a power surge caused by lightning. That can include televisions, appliances, computers, and other equipment. What is not always covered is a surge caused by a problem with the utility company's equipment rather than a direct lightning event. That distinction matters, and it is worth knowing before you make the assumption. The bigger issue is documentation. When you file a surge claim, the adjuster is going to want to know what was damaged, what it was worth, and when it was purchased. If you have a home inventory — even a simple one — that process goes a lot faster. If you do not, a summer storm is a reasonable prompt to start one. Fallen Trees and DebrisA tree falling on your house during a storm is covered. Your policy pays to remove the portion of the tree that landed on a covered structure and to repair the damage it caused. Here is where it gets more specific. If a tree falls in your yard but does not hit anything, most policies will pay a limited amount for removal — often somewhere between $500 and $1,000 — and only if the tree is blocking a driveway or ramp. If it just landed in the grass, you are typically paying for removal yourself. Neighbor's tree falls on your house? Still your claim. Your policy covers the structure damage regardless of where the tree came from. If negligence is involved — the neighbor knew the tree was dead and did nothing . . . that is a different conversation, but the initial claim still runs through your policy. Detached StructuresYour garage, fence, shed, pergola, and other detached structures are covered under what is called other structures coverage. It is standard in most policies and typically set at 10% of your dwelling coverage. On a $350,000 policy, that is $35,000 for anything that is not attached to the main house. A lot of homeowners do not know that number exists or what it is. Summer is when this comes up most, because it is when people are adding structures, replacing old fences, and finding out after a storm that the coverage they assumed they had is not what they thought. What Home Insurance Does Not Cover After a Summer StormTwo things catch people off guard every year in Oklahoma. The first is flooding. If a summer storm drops three inches of rain in forty minutes and water comes into your home through the doors or a low point in your yard, that is flood damage. A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood damage. Flood coverage requires a separate policy, typically through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private carrier. Oklahoma is not a state most people associate with flood risk, but the Arkansas River basin, the Canadian River corridor, and dozens of neighborhoods in the Oklahoma City metro have seen significant flood events in recent years. The second is maintenance. If your roof was already in poor condition before the storm, the insurance company is going to factor that in. They are not required to pay for pre-existing wear. If an adjuster looks at a 22-year-old roof and determines that the damage was partly storm-related and partly age-related, the payout will reflect that. Keeping up with routine maintenance is part of the deal on your end. Filing a Summer Storm Claim in OklahomaAfter a storm, the process is straightforward but timing matters. Document the damage with photos before anything gets cleaned up or covered. Contact your insurance company to start the claim. Get at least one estimate from a licensed contractor before any repairs begin. One thing worth saying plainly: storm chasers and out-of-state roofing contractors flood into Oklahoma after every major weather event. Some of them are legitimate. A lot of them are not. Using a local contractor you can check on later is almost always the better call. For a full walkthrough of what to expect, here is how the claims process works for Oklahoma homeowners. Have questions about a recent storm or want to know what your policy covers before the next one? We're happy to talk through it. Oklahoma Has Its Own RulesNot every state handles home insurance the same way, and Oklahoma has some specific factors worth knowing. The wind and hail deductible issue mentioned above is one. Another is that Oklahoma is consistently ranked among the highest states in the country for homeowners insurance premiums, driven in large part by storm frequency and severity. That affects how policies are written, what carriers are willing to offer, and what your options look like when it comes time to renew or shop. If you live in Oklahoma City, Edmond, or Norman, the exposure levels vary by neighborhood, age of home, and roof type. An older home in Moore handles a summer storm differently than a newer build in Deer Creek, and the coverage conversation should reflect that. If you are wondering specifically about tornado coverage, that is a slightly different conversation. The Practical Version of ThisIf you are sitting in Oklahoma in late May or June reading this, here is what actually matters. Pull out your declarations page and look at three things: your dwelling coverage amount, your wind and hail deductible, and whether you have flood coverage. Those three numbers will tell you more about your actual storm exposure than anything else. If you have not looked at them recently, it is a reasonable time to do it. If something looks off, or you are not sure what you are looking at, that is what an independent agent is for. Reach out and we can walk through your coverage in about fifteen minutes — you'll leave knowing where you actually stand. Oklahoma Insurance Professionals is an independent insurance agency located in Oklahoma City serving the surrounding area with insurance solutions for personal and business needs.
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