If you’re dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane, flood, or heavy rain, you may be wondering if your auto insurance policy covers flood damage. Here’s what type of coverage you need and how to file a claim for car flood damage with your insurance company.

Learn more: How does car insurance work? The basics explained.

Comprehensive insurance covers flood damage to vehicles. If you have full coverage car insurance, you already have comprehensive coverage.

There are several types of car insurance coverage. Some are mandated by state law, while others may be required by your lender if you’ve financed your car. Common types of coverage include:

• Liability coverage. Liability insurance consists of bodily injury liability coverage (in case you injure someone in an accident) and property damage liability coverage (in case you damage someone else’s property when you’re at fault in an accident). This type of coverage is required in all states except New Hampshire.

• Uninsured motorist coverage. If you’re hit by an uninsured driver, uninsured motorist insurance pays your medical bills and (in some states) your vehicle repair bills.

• Comprehensive coverage. If your car is damaged or destroyed by non-crash incidents, comprehensive coverage pays for repairs or, if the car is totaled, the actual cash value of the vehicle. Problems covered include vehicle flood damage, car fires, vandalism, and hitting an animal. Comprehensive insurance also covers car theft. This type of coverage is optional if your car isn’t financed, but lenders frequently require it.

• Collision coverage. If your car is damaged in an auto accident, collision coverage pays for repairs or the actual cash value of your car. Problems covered include hitting another vehicle, a fence, a building, or another object. Like comprehensive coverage, collision coverage isn’t typically mandated unless you have a loan or lease on your vehicle.

If you have comprehensive coverage, your auto insurance will pay for water damage from flood waters and heavy rains. Your vehicle will also be covered for other storm damage. For example, if your car were damaged by hail, storm debris, or a fallen tree, comprehensive insurance would pay out.

Unfortunately, if you don’t have comprehensive insurance, you’ll be left to pay out of pocket for damage from floods and other natural disasters. That means you’ll either have to foot the cost of the repair bill or replace the car altogether.

Pro tip: Vehicle damage falls under the umbrella of auto insurance, not homeowners insurance, even if your car was parked in your garage or under your carport when the covered event occurred.

Comprehensive car insurance will typically pay to repair or replace your vehicle no matter what part was damaged by flooding, whether it’s the engine, electric system, transmission, or other part. It also typically covers things like mold on the interior and cosmetic issues like rust or corrosion that often arise from water damage.

Leaks from rain are usually covered, as long as they’re not caused by poor maintenance or negligence. For example, if you forgot to close your sunroof or window and your car sustains water damage from a storm, your auto insurance policy probably won’t pay.

As with any auto insurance claim, you’ll need to pay your deductible toward repairs before you get reimbursement from your insurance company.

If your vehicle sustained damage due to flooding, follow these steps to file a car insurance claim:

1. Contact your car insurance company. You can call your insurance company or insurance agent, or you may be able to file a claim online or through your insurer’s mobile app. Try to file your claim as soon as possible, as insurance companies and repair shops are typically inundated with claims in the wake of a major storm. Be sure to write down the claim number.

2. Take pictures and videos to document the damage. Taking photos and videos of your vehicle can help you provide evidence of damage to your insurance company. Also take detailed notes about things that wouldn’t be obvious from photos, like the smell of smoke or mold, or wet carpeting.

3. Avoid driving your vehicle until you’ve had it inspected. Even if your car will start, it may have serious damage after flooding. Avoid driving it until you’ve had an inspection from a reputable mechanic. If you have an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle, that’s especially important, as EV batteries exposed to water can short-circuit and catch fire days or weeks after the damage occurred.

4. Review your policy documents. While you wait for your insurance company to respond to your claim, take a look at your policy documents so you’re prepared for your out-of-pocket costs. Look at your car insurance deductible, which is the amount you’ll have to pay for repairs before reimbursement kicks in.

5. Follow the instructions your insurance adjuster provides. An insurance adjuster will contact you to follow up on your claim. The adjuster will assess the damage to your car and arrange for an inspection. You’ll often need to get an estimate of the repair costs before your insurer will pay. Your insurance company will then use that estimate to determine the value of your claim.

6. Repair or replace your vehicle. If your insurer concludes your vehicle is fixable, you can take it to the repair shop of your choice. Your insurance company may issue payment to you or the repair shop after subtracting your deductible. If your insurer totals your car – meaning they’ve determined it’s beyond repair – they’ll send a payment directly to you and/or your lender, minus your deductible.

If your vehicle was submerged in water, your insurer is likely to total the car, especially if the damage was caused by saltwater from a hurricane’s storm surge. Keep in mind that if your car is totaled, your insurer will generally pay you the actual cash value of the vehicle. In other words, it will determine what it was worth immediately before the storm, factoring in car depreciation.

If you want financial protection for your vehicle in the event of a natural disaster, don’t wait until a storm is barreling your way — or after it’s already occurred.

You can never add insurance retroactively. That means if you didn’t have comprehensive insurance before your car sustained storm damage, you won’t be able to buy insurance and backdate it to cover the incident.

Though you can typically add comprehensive insurance to your policy at any time by contacting your insurer, most insurers also have binding restrictions that prevent you from buying new insurance or increasing your policy limits when a hurricane or tropical storm is expected to strike your area. Insurance companies put these restrictions in place to prevent people from adding coverage immediately before an event that’s likely to result in a large number of high-severity claims and then dropping it.

It’s always wise to review your insurance periodically, but well before a storm strikes is an especially good time to do so. Here are some questions that can help you determine how much car insurance you need and decide whether you need to make changes to your auto policy:

• If your car was totaled, could you afford to buy another vehicle? You may not be required to have comprehensive coverage if you don’t have a car loan or lease. But you may want to keep this insurance unless your car is worth less than a few thousand dollars. Remember, without comprehensive coverage, you’ll receive no payout if your vehicle is totaled in a natural disaster.

• Can you afford to pay your current deductible? Maintaining high deductibles can lower your premiums, but you may need to reassess your policy if you’d struggle to pay this out-of-pocket expense before your coverage kicks in.

• Do you owe more on your car than it’s worth? If your car is destroyed and it’s financed, your lender gets paid for the remaining balance before you see a dime. Not only would you have to pay the full cost of replacing the vehicle, but you could also owe your lender the difference between the insurer’s reimbursement and your outstanding balance. Consider gap insurance if you owe more than your vehicle is worth.

• Would renting a car for several weeks strain your budget? You could need to rent a car for an extended period after a flood or another natural disaster, especially since repair shops are likely to be overwhelmed with damaged vehicles. Adding rental reimbursement coverage often costs just a few dollars extra per month and may be worth it for additional peace of mind.

If a storm is approaching your area, consider taking “before” pictures of your car before the storm hits. These can help you document your loss if you need to file an insurance claim after the storm has passed.

Comprehensive coverage reimburses you for damage from floods and natural disasters. Most policies marketed as providing full coverage include comprehensive insurance, but check your policy documents if you’re not sure what’s included.

No. Flood insurance applies to homes and other real properties, as well as personal belongings. Flood damage to a car is covered by comprehensive car insurance.

Learn more: How much does flood insurance cost in each state?

Comprehensive car insurance will typically pay for repair or replacement costs (minus your deductible) if your vehicle was damaged after driving through a flooded area or large puddle. However, if you don’t have comprehensive coverage, your auto policy won’t pay for the damage.

Tim Manni and Amy Danise edited this article.