Montana Tornado Insurance
Find the right tornado insurance policy for you.
Written by
Ann Herro has been writing about insurance and employee benefits for over 15 years. She has covered topics as easy as insuring a car, and as difficult as transparency in healthcare costs.
Tornadoes can touch down anywhere; in fact, they have resulted in damages in every U.S. state. The powerful winds of a tornado can destroy the homes, vehicles, businesses and personal property that are in its path, so having good tornado insurance in Montana is important. Though it is located outside the area of the United States that is commonly referred to as Tornado Alley, this state still sees its fair share of tornado activity. If you are a resident of Montana, you may want to compare a variety of tornado insurance policies and quotes to ensure that you are getting sufficient coverage at a reasonable rate.
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Montana Tornado Facts
- Montana is the 31st mostly likely U.S. state to be hit by a tornado
- This state averages 5 tornadoes a year
- Tornadoes are most likely to strike between April and September
- The majority of this state’s tornadoes have occurred in June
- Between 1950 and 1994, 238 tornadoes touched down in Montana and caused more than $26 million in damages
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Why Should MT Residents Consider Tornado Insurance?
Of all the natural disasters that can affect residents of Montana, tornadoes are among the most destructive. Although most of the tornadoes that touch down in Montana are relatively weak, having wind speeds of less than 65 miles per hour, about 15 percent are strong enough to cause expensive damages. An F2 tornado, like the one that struck Billings, MT on Father’s Day in 2010, caused millions of dollars in damages. In July of the same year, an F3 twister touched down on a family ranch in the northeastern part of the state. This deadly tornado killed two.
Tornado insurance is not something you purchase on its own. It is typically included in the insurance policies you already have, such as homeowners and auto insurance. It is important that residents of Montana review their coverage to ensure that they are properly covered in amounts that are sufficient to keep them from financial devastation in the event of a total loss caused by a twister.
Tornado Insurance Can Cover Damages to Homes in Montana
Tornadoes can cause all sorts of damage to your property, including your home, sheds, fences and detached garages. When roofs and windows are damaged by these storms, you can also experience major property damage to the things you keep inside your home. Fortunately, most home insurance policies will provide coverage against this sort of damage.
Make certain that your homeowners, condo or renters insurance policy includes tornadoes among its covered events, particularly if you have a named-peril policy. You will want to make sure that the coverage is high enough to properly cover your home and its contents in the event that your home is completely destroyed.
It is a good idea to revisit your coverage amounts every three to five years, as your property ownership can change over time. Keep in mind that highly valuable items, such as jewelry or original artwork, may need an additional rider in order to be covered in full.
Tornado Insurance Can Cover Damages to Your Vehicle
Tornadoes can severely damage cars and trucks whether they are on the road or in the driveway. Falling objects, flying debris, falling objects, and collapsed garages are just some of the many tornado-related dangers that can lead to damage to your vehicle. The only way to get coverage against this type of destruction is to include comprehensive coverage as part of your auto insurance policy.
Comprehensive coverage is typically required by lenders when you finance the purchase of your vehicle, so if you are still making payments on your car or truck, it’s likely you already have it. If not, you may want to obtain some quotes for comprehensive coverage. If a total loss or major damage to your vehicle would cause you financial hardships, comprehensive coverage is the best way to protect yourself.
Tornado Insurance Can Cover Your Other Investments
Houses and vehicles are not the only properties that need protection from tornado damage. You may be a business owner, in which case you will need a suitable business insurance policy to provide you with coverage. Business insurance can even enable your company to continue receiving an income if a covered event, such as a tornado, forces you to cease business operations for an extended period of time.
Additionally, many Montana residents also own other property such as snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and boats. Insurance coverage specifically designed for these types of property is not required by law, so many choose not to purchase it. Your homeowners insurance policy may provide some coverage if these items are damaged by a tornado, but this coverage is often very limited. If you wish you protect the investment you have made in your other property, you may want to strongly consider purchasing coverage specific to each item.
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Find and Compare Tornado Insurance Quotes in Montana
How can you be sure if insurance policies satisfactorily cover you against tornado damage? At times, it can be difficult to fully understand the fine print in the details of an insurance policy. An independent insurance agent in the Trusted Choice® network can help you evaluate your currently-held policies, and in the event that additional coverage is needed, these agents can provide you with a selection of competitively priced policies that you can review and compare.
Contact a Trusted Choice agent in Montana to get more information and you can start comparing tornado insurance quotes in no time.