Wednesday's damage covered by standard homeowner's policy (STORM)

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

Homeowners who suffered wind damage — or tornado damage — in Wednesday’s storm should be covered under their standard homeowner’s policy, an insurance industry spokesman said Thursday.

The National Weather Service surveyed damage from the storm and determined that a stretch from the town of Florida in Montgomery County to the town of Rotterdam in Schenectady County was struck not just by wind, but by a tornado.

Homes and other structures in the path of the tornado sustained damage. Also sustaining damage, though, were homes throughout the Capital Region, including Schenectady and elsewhere in Rotterdam. Damage to those was largely caused by straight-line winds.

According to Michael Barry, vice president for media relations for the Insurance Information Institute, whether damage was caused by a confirmed tornado or regular straight-line winds doesn’t matter for purposes of insurance claims.

Both are wind.

“The short answer is there are not likely to be any coverage disputes on property insurance policies when damage is caused by wind,” he said.

Wind, Barry said, is one of the core areas of coverage for homeowner’s policies, along with fire and theft. Wind damage, he said, includes trees blown down and into houses.

Damage to cars would be covered under the insurance policy on the vehicle, if the car owner has comprehensive coverage.

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