A Mission resident looks over a large elm tree that was felled at 58th and Nall Avenues when a severe storm swept over Mission, Kansas on Friday, July 14, 2023.
tljungblad@kcstar.com
Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding hit the Kansas City subway Friday afternoon, causing severe damage to power lines, trees, homes and vehicles.
If your car was hit by a fallen branch, hail, or other debris, your insurance company may be able to help you with repair costs. However, that depends on whether you have an insurance plan that accounts for storms.
Both Missouri and Kansas require drivers to have some basic types of insurance, including liability insurance to cover incidents where the driver causes damage.
If you take out insurance that only covers the types of coverage required by law for travelling, you may be unlucky when it comes to storm damage. Mandatory liability insurance does not cover if a tree crushes your car.
However, if you’ve opted for a more robust policy that includes additional types of insurance, you may be entitled to help.
You should look for the term “comprehensive insurance” in your specific insurance policy.
What is fully comprehensive insurance?
The Kansas Insurance Department defines Collision Damage Waiver as insurance that “covers damage to your automobile caused by wind, fire, hail, etc.” And the Missouri Department of Insurance says, “Automobile insurance provides protection in the event of physical damage to the insured’s car, other than collision or theft. Example: fire, flood.”
Collision Damage Waiver covers damage to your car resulting from events beyond your control, such as when your car:
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Damaged by debris brought in by high winds
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Striked by Thunderbolt
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Crushed by a falling object
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Carried away by a flood
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Broken down due to a hail storm
Damage from branches, trees and hail certainly falls into this category in both Kansas and Missouri.
Some policies may require you to pay a deductible before collision damage waiver kicks in to cover the rest.
To make a claim, you can contact your insurance company directly.
And here are some more things to consider if the storm damaged your car, house or yard.
safety first
When you encounter fallen trees, downed power lines, or other dangerous situations, safety always comes first. Provide shelter, but plan to abandon any homes or other structures that might show structural damage after the storm. Do not attempt to clean up heavy soiling yourself.
Stay away from failed power lines even if your power goes out. Also keep children and pets away from these hazards. Here’s how to deal with a power outage in Kansas City. You can report a power outage to Evergy by calling 888-544-4852.
Take photos of all damage and debris
Depending on your insurance, you may need photos or video to prove the damage was caused by a storm. It never hurts to photograph any damage before you start cleaning your yard or property. If you’re a renter, these photos can also help show your landlord what happened.
Never go near a broken power line or other hazard to take a photo. Take photos and videos from a safe distance and show the extent of the damage caused.
Report fallen power lines, trees, and other hazards
When a power line goes down, the first step is to call Evergy and make them aware of the situation. Then call your local emergency number to report the hazard.
Jim Connelly of the Kansas City Office of Emergency Management recommended that if a tree falls on your home, you should evacuate it if possible. You don’t want to be in a house with structural damage in case it falls down.
If damage was caused by a fallen tree that was on your property, you are responsible, Connelly said. It is also your responsibility to notify your insurance company. He recommended calling a tree felling company to help clear the fallen tree.
If you are a tenant, you should tell your landlord or property owner immediately. It is their responsibility to take care of the tree felling and insurance.
Connelly said Kansas City is responsible for the tree if it is within the city’s right of way, meaning the tree is on public property such as a sidewalk. This is determined by the city’s property lines, which you can find in the parcel viewer by searching for your address.
If this is the case, the next step is to report the fallen tree by calling 311 or reporting the tree online through the city’s MyKCMO portal. The city will send someone to examine and remove the tree if it is a city tree.
The same idea extends beyond Kansas City to the surrounding areas. For example, you can report a fallen city tree to OPCares in Overland Park.
Contact your city or county for disaster relief
Your county or city may have assistance programs available to help you recover from a storm. For example, Wyandotte County provides emergency tree felling services after severe weather. They lower power lines and prune trees on a resident’s property when it is unsafe for the resident to do it alone. Contact your county or city directly to learn more.
Watch out for home repair scammers
The Johnson County Attorney’s Office frequently warns residents to beware of home repair scammers. Residents have been advised to contact a trusted local company for home repairs and only provide insurance information to their own insurance companies.
“If a contractor cannot provide the necessary licenses or obtain the necessary permits, residents should move their business elsewhere,” the office wrote. Additionally, “out-of-state license plates and unmarked vehicles are often an indication that temporary dealers are traveling to damaged areas, raising money for repair services, and then leaving the area before completing promised repairs.”
If you have any further questions after the storm, you can send an email to kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published Jul 14, 2023 at 7:42 p.m.
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Joseph Hernandez is a member of The Star’s service journalism team. A Kansas City native, Hernandez graduated from Cristo Rey Kansas City High School and the University of Missouri-Columbia. He previously wrote for Columbia Missourian and The Pitch.
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