How Hurricanes Affect Your Vehicle and Auto Insurance

Auto insurance protects Myrtle Beach drivers from hurricane related vehicle damage, but understanding exactly what coverage applies and how claims work before storm season arrives prevents confusion when you need protection most. Hurricane season runs from June through November, overlapping with peak tourist season and creating elevated risks for vehicles throughout coastal South Carolina.

Hurricanes and tropical storms damage vehicles through multiple mechanisms: high winds that blow debris into vehicles or topple trees onto parked cars, flooding that submerges vehicles in rising water, and storm surge that pushes saltwater into coastal areas. Each type of damage involves specific auto insurance considerations that Myrtle Beach drivers should understand before storms threaten.

The Myrtle Beach area has experienced significant vehicle losses from hurricanes including Hugo, Floyd, Matthew, Florence, and numerous tropical storms over the decades. Each event demonstrated that vehicle damage extends well beyond the immediate coast, affecting cars throughout Horry County and beyond. Proper auto insurance coverage and pre-storm preparation can mean the difference between a manageable claim and a devastating financial loss.

What Auto Insurance Covers During Hurricanes

Hurricane related vehicle damage falls under comprehensive coverage, an optional component of auto insurance that many Myrtle Beach drivers carry but some mistakenly believe covers more or less than it actually does.

Comprehensive Coverage for Storm Damage

Comprehensive coverage protects your vehicle against damage from events other than collisions, including natural disasters like hurricanes and tropical storms. When high winds blow a tree onto your parked car, when flying debris shatters your windshield, or when hail pounds your vehicle's body panels, comprehensive coverage pays for repairs or replacement minus your deductible.

Comprehensive coverage also covers flood damage to vehicles. Unlike homeowners insurance, which excludes flooding entirely, auto comprehensive coverage responds when rising water damages your car. If storm surge, river overflow, or inadequate drainage submerges your vehicle during a hurricane, comprehensive coverage pays to repair or replace it.

Importantly, comprehensive coverage applies regardless of where your vehicle is located when damage occurs. Whether parked at your Myrtle Beach home, at work, in a parking garage, or evacuated inland, comprehensive coverage protects against covered perils anywhere.

What Comprehensive Coverage Does Not Cover

Comprehensive coverage does not pay for damage you cause while driving during a storm. If you hydroplane on flooded roads and crash into a guardrail, that damage falls under collision coverage, not comprehensive. The distinction matters because collision and comprehensive have separate deductibles and some drivers carry one coverage but not the other.

Comprehensive coverage also does not cover mechanical failures that result from flood damage but manifest later. If your car starts after flooding but the electrical system fails weeks later due to saltwater corrosion, proving the connection to the original flood event can be complicated. Documenting damage thoroughly at the time of the event helps establish coverage for delayed mechanical failures.

Liability Coverage During Hurricanes

Your liability coverage continues to apply if you cause an accident while driving during or after a hurricane. If you crash into another vehicle while navigating storm debris or flooded roads, your liability coverage pays for their damages and injuries. However, driving in dangerous storm conditions when authorities have advised against travel could potentially complicate claims if your insurer argues negligence contributed to the accident.

Understanding Deductibles for Hurricane Claims

Unlike homeowners insurance, which often applies separate hurricane deductibles, most auto insurance policies use the same comprehensive deductible for hurricane damage as for any other comprehensive claim. However, reviewing your specific policy before storm season confirms this applies to your coverage.

Standard Comprehensive Deductibles

Comprehensive deductibles typically range from $100 to $1,000, with $500 being common. When a hurricane damages your vehicle, you pay the deductible amount and insurance covers the remainder up to your vehicle's actual cash value. If your car sustains $3,000 in hail damage and you have a $500 comprehensive deductible, insurance pays $2,500.

Choosing higher deductibles reduces premium costs but increases your out of pocket expense when claims occur. Given the elevated hurricane risk in Myrtle Beach, consider whether potential premium savings justify higher deductibles you would pay after a storm.

Total Loss Situations

When repair costs exceed your vehicle's actual cash value, insurers declare the vehicle a total loss. You receive a settlement equal to the vehicle's pre-storm market value minus your deductible. Saltwater flooding frequently totals vehicles because the extensive damage to electrical systems, interiors, and mechanical components costs more to repair than the vehicle is worth.

Gap coverage becomes important when your vehicle is totaled but you owe more on your loan than the insurance settlement provides. If you owe $18,000 on a car with an actual cash value of $15,000, gap coverage pays the $3,000 difference so you are not stuck paying a loan on a vehicle you no longer have.

Preparing Your Vehicle and Coverage Before Hurricane Season

Insurance preparation for hurricane season should begin well before storms threaten. Taking steps now ensures coverage is in place and you understand your protection before emergency decisions are required.

Review Your Current Coverage

Confirm that your auto policy includes comprehensive coverage. South Carolina requires only liability insurance, so drivers who elected minimum coverage do not have protection for hurricane damage to their own vehicles. If you dropped comprehensive coverage to reduce premiums, consider reinstating it before hurricane season.

Verify your comprehensive deductible amount and ensure you can afford this out of pocket cost if a claim becomes necessary. If your deductible is higher than you remembered or can comfortably pay, consider adjusting it before storm season.

Document Your Vehicle's Condition

Photograph your vehicle thoroughly before any storm threatens. Capture all angles of the exterior, interior details, the dashboard and odometer, and any existing damage. This documentation establishes your vehicle's pre-storm condition, simplifying claims if damage occurs.

Keep records of recent maintenance, upgrades, and any accessories you have added. Custom wheels, audio systems, and other additions may need documentation to support their value in a claim. Store this documentation in cloud storage accessible from anywhere, not just on your phone that might be damaged in a storm.

Understand Your Policy's Requirements

Auto policies require you to take reasonable steps to protect your vehicle from foreseeable damage. While insurers do not expect you to prevent all hurricane damage, leaving your car parked in a known flood zone during a storm when you could have moved it might complicate claims. Understanding these expectations before emergencies helps you make decisions that protect both your vehicle and your coverage.

Where to Park Your Vehicle During Hurricanes

Vehicle location during hurricanes significantly affects damage risk. Planning where to park before evacuation orders or storm conditions arrive gives you more options than waiting until the last minute.

Avoiding Flood Prone Areas

Low lying areas, locations near creeks and drainage systems, and parking lots that flood during heavy rain all present elevated risk during hurricanes. If you know your normal parking location floods during routine storms, it will almost certainly flood during a hurricane. Identifying alternative higher ground parking before emergencies gives you options.

Storm surge presents particular risk for vehicles parked near the Myrtle Beach oceanfront or along the Intracoastal Waterway. Surge can push water miles inland in worst case scenarios, affecting vehicles well beyond normal flood zones. Moving vehicles to higher ground inland provides the best protection against surge.

Protecting Against Wind and Debris

Parking garages offer protection from flying debris and fallen trees that cause significant vehicle damage during high winds. Multi level parking structures, particularly middle levels away from openings, provide substantial protection compared to surface parking.

Avoid parking under or near large trees that could fall or drop heavy limbs during high winds. Mature trees throughout Myrtle Beach area neighborhoods regularly fall during hurricanes, crushing vehicles parked beneath them. Open parking away from trees, while exposed to hail, avoids the total loss that a fallen tree causes.

Evacuation Considerations

If you evacuate ahead of a hurricane, your vehicle travels with you to presumably safer locations inland. This removes the vehicle from the highest risk coastal zone but does not eliminate all risk. Hurricanes weaken as they move inland but still cause damage well beyond the coast. Hurricane Florence caused extensive flooding in areas far from the immediate coast as the slow moving storm dropped enormous rainfall totals.

When evacuating, consider fuel availability during your return. Fuel shortages commonly follow hurricanes as power outages disable gas stations. Filling up before departure and keeping your tank above half full during the storm period ensures you have fuel for evacuation travel and return.

Filing Auto Insurance Claims After Hurricane Damage

The claims process after hurricane damage follows similar procedures to any comprehensive claim, though the volume of claims after major storms can create delays. Taking proper steps protects your interests and speeds resolution.

Document Damage Before Moving the Vehicle

Photograph and video all damage extensively before moving your vehicle or attempting any cleanup. Capture the vehicle's location showing surrounding damage, all exterior damage from multiple angles, interior damage including water lines if flooded, and under hood damage visible without disassembly. This documentation proves the extent of damage if disputes arise later.

Do Not Attempt to Start a Flooded Vehicle

If your vehicle was submerged or water entered the engine compartment, do not attempt to start it. Starting a flooded engine causes additional damage as water in the cylinders creates hydraulic lock that bends connecting rods and destroys the engine. This additional damage might not be covered if the insurer determines your actions worsened the loss.

Have the vehicle towed to a repair facility or salvage yard rather than attempting to drive it. Even if the car starts initially, flood damaged vehicles frequently experience electrical failures and mechanical problems that make them unsafe to drive.

Report Claims Promptly

Contact your insurance company as soon as safely possible after discovering damage. Major hurricanes generate thousands of vehicle claims across affected areas, creating adjuster backlogs that delay inspections and settlements. Early reporting positions your claim in the queue ahead of those who wait.

Have your policy number ready when you call and be prepared to describe the damage in general terms. The insurer will arrange for an adjuster to inspect the vehicle and determine whether it can be repaired or should be declared a total loss.

Working with Adjusters and Repair Shops

Your insurance company may send an adjuster to inspect your vehicle or may use photos you provide to assess damage. Cooperate fully with the inspection process and provide any documentation requested. If you disagree with the damage assessment or repair estimate, you can request reconsideration or obtain independent estimates.

You have the right to choose your repair shop rather than using an insurer recommended facility. However, insurers only pay reasonable repair costs, so obtaining estimates from multiple shops helps ensure you select a facility that will complete repairs within insurance coverage.

Rental Car Coverage During Vehicle Repairs

Rental reimbursement coverage pays for a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired after a covered claim. After hurricanes, this coverage becomes particularly valuable because repair shops face backlogs that extend repair times well beyond normal durations.

Review your policy for rental reimbursement coverage and understand the daily limit and maximum coverage period. Typical coverage provides $30 to $50 per day for up to 30 days, but these limits may prove insufficient after major hurricanes when repair delays extend for months. Consider whether your current limits adequately protect you or whether increasing coverage before hurricane season makes sense.

Rental car availability also becomes challenging after major storms as evacuees return and residents with damaged vehicles compete for limited rental inventory. Having rental reimbursement coverage does not guarantee rental availability, so alternative transportation plans provide backup options when rentals are unavailable.

Working with a Myrtle Beach Auto Insurance Agent

Working with a Myrtle Beach auto insurance agent who understands hurricane risks helps ensure your coverage actually protects you when storms strike. Local agents can explain coverage options, help you evaluate deductible choices, and ensure your policy addresses the specific risks Myrtle Beach drivers face during hurricane season.

Independent agents who represent multiple carriers can compare options across insurers to find coverage that balances comprehensive hurricane protection with affordable premiums. Carrier hurricane claim handling reputations vary, and agents familiar with local claims experiences can guide you toward insurers with track records of fair, prompt claim resolution after coastal storms.

Get an Auto Insurance Quote in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Moore and Associates has helped Myrtle Beach drivers prepare for hurricane season since 1979. Our agents understand the specific vehicle risks hurricanes create along the South Carolina coast and can help you build coverage that protects your vehicle when storms arrive.

Our auto insurance agents serve Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and surrounding areas including North Myrtle Beach, Atlantic Beach, Conway, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island, and Georgetown. Contact Moore and Associates today for a free quote.