Editor's note: This article first appeared on Insurance.comand is reprinted here with their permission. Click here for the original post.

Will my car insurance cover my vehicle if it's damagedby a hailstorm or a tornado smashing something up againstit?

Yes, your auto insurance will cover the cost of repairs or thetotal loss of your car due to severe weather, but only if you hadcomprehensive coverage on your vehicle before the damage wassustained.

A bare-bones car insurance policy will contain only liabilitycoverage, which gives you no protection for your vehicle. Liability coverage pays out to those that you harm in an accident;it doesn't cover your injuries or your vehicle in any way.

To have your vehicle protected by your car insurance policy, youneed to buy physical damage coverage. The two types ofphysical damage coverage are collision and comprehensive.

Collision covers your car when you hit, or are hit by, anothercar or object, regardless of whether you are at fault. Italso covers single-car crashes, such as rolling your vehicle downan embankment.

Comprehensive is also known as “other than collision” coveragebecause it covers events that are not covered by your collisioncoverage. This includes striking an animal, fire, theft, vandalismand damages from severe weather or natural disasters—such as hail,windstorm, hurricane or tornado.

If you have comprehensive coverage and need to make a claim fordamage your vehicle sustained in severe weather, your deductibleamount will be due. Comprehensive claims are typically regarded asnot-at-fault incidents and are not as likely to affect your futurecar insurance rates as collision claims are.

If you don't have comprehensive on your vehicle, youcan compare car insurancerates to see how much it will cost to add it on. Just be sure to do buy this additional coverage before a severeweather alert goes out (such as a hurricane watch or warning) orinsurers may put in place temporary restrictions that keep you fromadding physical damage coverages, lowering deductibles orincreasing limits on existing policies or purchasing a newpolicy.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

April is the worst month for hail claims

The most insurance claims for hail damage are filed in April,followed by May and June, as spring weather moves through theMidwest and South Central U.S., according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration recorded 188 separate hailstorms in2014, down slightly from 220 the year before. One hailstorm candamage tens of thousands of cars.

These are the states where hail damage claims are most frequent,says the NICB:

1. |
   1. Texas
   2. Missouri
   3. Kansas
   4. Colorado
   5. Oklahoma
   6. Illinois
   7. Tennessee
   8. Indiana
   9. Arizona
   10. Kentucky

The average hail claim is about $3,000—but light hail damagemight not be enough even to meet your deductible, while heavy haildamage, though mostly cosmetic, can total even a brand-new car.

Additional reading:

How much insurance do drivers like you buy?

Your guide to SR-22 insurance

How to switch car insurance companies