Insurance policy likely won’t cover a natural disaster, unless you update it

Thousands of people in CTX still recovering from tornado damage

The Austin Disaster Relief Network says those people are running into a big problem. But, it can be fixed with a quick phone call to your insurance company.

AUSTIN, Texas - The tornado recovery effort in Central Texas is only in the beginning stages.

"We know the process of recovery is a long road, and we anticipate there will be many months, if not years, for those still in the need to rebuild their homes," said Stephen Brewer, associate director of Austin Disaster Relief Network.

While many people have homeowners insurance, there is one major problem Brewer said he is running into, that is gaps in coverage.

"While they had coverage on their home which is great, with increasing market rates and values of their homes, the current rate didn’t match what they had it insured for," said Brewer.

Quote Wizard, an online insurance marketplace, studied this phenomena and noticed it is happening nationwide.

"Home prices and materials prices have risen so quickly, they have outpaced the value of people’s home insurance," said Nick VinZant, senior research analyst, Quote Wizard.

"So if you had a $400,000 policy two years ago, the cost of rebuilding your home now, is not $400,000 anymore. It could be $450,000 or it could $500,000," said VinZant.

6 tornadoes cause damage across Central Texas

Six tornadoes have caused damage across Central Texas in the past month, the strongest of those was an EF-3. Meteorologist Carlo Falco explains what those ratings mean and how they're assigned.

That gap, will have to come out of your pocket. VinZant said with it being springtime, and the season for natural disasters, people need to make that call immediately, before it is too late.

"Call you insurance agent, look for a new policy and make sure you are fully covered," said VinZant.

In the meantime, ADRN has stepped in, and they continue to raise money to help these families.

"We’ve been diligently raising funds to help meet people’s needs that are experiencing gaps in their insurance as well as needing insurance and coverage as a whole, or didn’t have insurance," said Brewer.

To donate to ADRN’s cause, click here.