What type of car insurance do I need for flood damage?

Floods can severely damage your car if you do not know how to cross through it properly. During the rainy season, many places within and outside of Metro Manila experience flooding due to low-pressure areas and typhoons entering the country. Not to mention, most of the canals and water drainage systems are poorly maintained, therefore increasing the chances of flooding.

Not all vehicles have the advantage of high ground clearance and good water wading depth, as sedans and hatchbacks become the primary victims. However, there are even times when the water level climbs unusually higher than expected, making SUVs and pickups not so invincible. With that said, all vehicles can be victims of floods, and repairs can be a pain in the pocket. Though, that shouldn’t be much of a problem if you have the right type of car insurance to cover its flood damages. 

What your car actually needs is an ‘Acts of God’ or ‘Acts of Nature’ coverage. If your vehicle was damaged in the event of a calamity such as flooding, then this add-on should lessen your repair expense. It is an essential package as the monsoon strikes the Philippines year by year, therefore saving your car at the risk of facing hefty repair expenses for flood damages.

Your car’s mechanical components are the most concerning thing when crossing through floods. The water could not only damage your interior, but it could also destroy your fuse box, computer box, air filters, and even contaminate your car's oil. After crossing the flood then it’s best for you to check it immediately or bring it to a trusted mechanic in order to properly assess your car’s condition whether you notice problems or not. 

Be sure to consult your insurance policy in order to find out if the flood damage accumulated by your car will be covered. As with all insurance companies, not all policies of ‘Acts of God’ or ‘Acts of Nature’ coverage are made equal, some don’t always include this in the basic packages of their products. So when buying your insurance online or otherwise, consider acts of nature as a key add-on. 

You must follow these 6 steps in order to claim your ‘Acts of God’ or ‘Acts of Nature’ insurance:

• Document everything - Keep in mind that your documentation is one of the main keys to claiming your insurance. That’s you should gather as much photographic and video evidence in order to strengthen your evidence.
• Report the incident to the insurance company - After gathering your proof of the accident, you must then report it to the insurance company. Provide them with other necessary information such as the time and date of the flooding incident. Now, if an insurance representative gives you instructions, follow them in order to avoid delays in claiming your insurance.
• Make an incident report - Insurance companies also require this up until now. Just make sure that all details you've written out will be accurate when you fill-up the incident report form. Sometimes, they would even require you to make a sketch of the incident so you better be prepared for that. 
• Prepare the needed documents - Aside from the ones mentioned above, other requirements will also be asked by the insurance company for filing claims. All in all, here are the following requirements you must prepare:

1. Insurance policy for the vehicle
2. Driver’s license
3. Incident report
4. Incident documentation including photos, videos, etc.
5. Official Receipt (OR) Certificate of Registration (CR)
6. Barangay certificate stating that the location has been flooded
7. A police report and/or notarized affidavit

• Wait for the insurance adjuster to contact you - Before the insurance company gives the go-signal for repairs, the whole process might take days depending on the severity of the damage to your car, as the insurance parlance is set to investigate the claim incident first.
• Wait for the assessment and letter of authority - After the damages of your car have been properly assessed and found out that they’re liable to your car’s flood wreck, a letter of authority (LOA) will then be issued. This guarantees that your vehicle will be handled by the service center at the expense of the insurer.