SHREVEPORT, La. – After Saturday’s storm, extensive flooding took over parts of the ArkLaTex, specifically in the Shreveport-Bossier area.
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With many cars left underwater, here are some tips from insurance companies like State Farm and Progressive that can provide guidance on what to do next.
Does car insurance cover flood damage?
If your car is damaged or ruined due to a flood, your auto policy’s comprehensive coverage may pay to repair or replace your vehicle, minus your deductible. Comprehensive can cover a variety of water damage, including flooding, heavy rain and hail.
Vehicle Flood Damage Checklist
- Study possible damages. Be aware of the depth of the flood waters in relation to your car. Avoid starting a flooded car; this will cause more damage if there is water in the engine.
- Act quickly. Submerging a vehicle in salt water, which is more damaging than fresh water, increases the chances of corrosion. Start drying out your vehicle as soon as possible and contact a towing service to get it back to higher ground. Oil, transmission fluid and lubricant may need to be drained prior to towing.
- File a claim. Your insurance company, along with a qualified mechanic, will discover the extent of the problems caused by the flooding. Among other inspections, they will:
- Check the oil dipstick. Look for water droplets, which probably indicate water in your engine. If this is the case, the cylinders, which are supposed to compress air instead of water, can break.
- Remove water damaged cylinders and check for corroded spots.
- Change the oil and transmission fluid. If the car isn’t totaled, you’ll want to do it again after the car is in good condition and you’ve driven it for several hundred miles.
- Check the interior. If the flood waters were more than a few feet deep, the water probably reached the interior of the car.
- Removes all moisture. They can use a wet/dry vacuum to pick up standing water in your vehicle, cloth towels to soak up water that has soaked into the seats and carpet, and fans and dehumidifiers to speed up the drying process.
- Check electrical components. The mechanic may need to replace electrical components.
- Check the fuel tank and line. A siphon pump can be used to remove some fuel to see if water is present. If water is found in the fuel (which would naturally separate from the fuel), they will completely drain the fuel tank.
Is a flood damaged car repairable?
What happens to a flood-damaged car depends on the severity of the flood. Small floods that drain quickly can often be repaired, but insurance companies often consider vehicles that are severely flooded or sitting in water to be unrepairable, resulting in the car being declared a total loss
Flooded cars are often declared a total loss because repairing water damage is complicated and expensive. A total loss means that the insurance company has determined that the damage cannot be safely repaired or that the cost of repairing the vehicle is greater than the value of the car.
What are the common problems with flooded cars?
A flood-damaged car presents with a variety of problems, including bad odors, rust, strange noises, engine smoke, and electronic damage.
