Does your homeowners insurance cover wind damage?

ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOX) - Hotspots for tornadic activity are moving east and that's putting Missouri and Illinois squarely within a new Tornado Alley. As severe weather shifts so do risks. That could mean your insurance coverage is lacking. KMOX's Megan Lynch spoke with insurance reporter Rachael Brennan who looked at the ins and outs of insurance needs for U.S. News and World Report.

Brennan says you need to go through your policy to ensure you have coverage. "So if your policy does not include windstorm damage or wind damage, that means that any damage costs for your home due to straight-line winds or tornadoes would not be covered under your insurance."

She says check your declarations page first. Then you want to see how your coverage breaks down for each of four categories. "Your coverage A of your homeowners insurance covers the actual physical structure of your home, the walls and roof. And the coverage B covers other things on your property, fences, sheds, detached garages. Coverage C is your actual belongings inside your home. And coverage D actually covers loss of use, so to cover you in a hotel while you're rebuilding or repairing your property. "

Brennan points out, each of those may have differing deductibles. A new trend is for deductibles to cover a percentage of the overall damage instead of specific, predetermined dollar amount.

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