If you thought your car insurance was mostly about accidents and traffic, think again. This season many drivers are seeing a surge in claims, not because of crashes, but because of the weather. Storms, hail, floods, high winds, all hitting harder and more often. And that is starting to reshape how insurers think about risk, claims, and pricing.
Storms are more than just scary headlines
In 2025, the trend has become painfully clear: extreme weather events, hailstorms, windstorms, heavy rains, floods, have spiked sharply. That pace nearly matches the total from 2024, a year already marked by record-setting storm damage.
For insurers and repair shops, that means a lot more work, and for drivers, a lot more risk of unexpected damage. One industry report found that hail-related auto claims rose to 11.8% of all comprehensive auto claims in 2023, up from 9% in 2020.
At the same time, the cost difference is growing: hail-damaged vehicles now often cost well more than average repairable cars to fix, on average 21.7% more expensive to repair than typical comprehensive claims, and 25.6% more than average repairable claims.
So this isn’t just about “a broken window” or “a dent here or there”. For many, we’re talking smashed glass, bodywork damage, possibly even totaled cars, especially when storms, hail or floods hit hard.
Why more weather-damaged claims now
There are a few reasons this surge is happening, some short-term, some structural:
Weather patterns are shifting, storms seem stronger or more frequent, with hail and strong windstorms hitting areas that previously saw such events only rarely.
Repair costs and parts prices have been going up, labor, materials, replacement parts, which makes even “minor” weather damage more expensive to fix.
Growing urban and suburban sprawl puts more vehicles and property into harm’s way, more cars parked outside, more exposure, more chance that a hailstorm, flood or windstorm will hit someone’s vehicle.
All this creates a kind of “new normal” for auto-related weather damage: more frequent, more expensive, and more consequential.
Let’s imagine a driver, call her Sara, living in a state hit by severe storms this year. Sara parks her car on the street like most people. One evening, a hailstorm hits hard, big stones, strong winds. Next morning she finds dents all over the hood, shattered side windows, cracked roof. Local garages are swamped with repairs. Her insurer sees a spike in hail-damage claims nearby. She ends up with a comprehensive claim, and even after paying deductible, the repair cost is steep, and her premium goes up a bit at renewal.
Then there’s Mark, in a flood-prone area. Heavy rain plus rising water levels. His car sits near a ground-floor building, water seeps in, electronics, upholstery ruined. He finds out flood-related auto damage is often worth a total loss, even if the flood seems mild.
These aren’t rare hypotheticals anymore. With more frequent severe weather, more people are facing them.
What insurers are saying
Industry voices are pretty clear, this isn’t just a blip. Weather-related damage, hail, wind, floods, is forcing auto insurers and repair industries to adapt to new patterns, with bigger costs, longer repair times, and geographic expansion of risk zones.
Some regions where storms used to be rare now see significant spikes in claims. Insurance companies warn that existing pricing models, often based on historical data, may no longer be reliable.
What you can do if you live somewhere risky
If you live in an area prone to storms, hail, floods or sudden weather swings, or even if climate seems stable but things are changing, here are a few practical tips:
Check your policy, make sure you have comprehensive coverage that includes weather-related damage.
Consider raising coverage limits or reducing deductible, if affordable, sometimes paying extra is worth avoiding huge out-of-pocket bills.
Park smart, avoid open-street parking if possible, especially under trees or in flood-prone zones.
Document your car before storm season, photos, condition notes, helps with any claims that may arise.
Stay alert to weather warnings, hail, wind gusts, floods, and act fast, move the car, cover windows, use underground or covered parking.
Budget for possible rate increases, if many cars in your area claim weather damage, insurers may adjust rates across the board.
The bigger picture, why this matters
Rising weather-related auto claims reflect broader climate shifts. What used to be occasional freak events are increasingly frequent. Storm patterns change, extreme weather becomes more common. That affects not only homes, but also cars, daily commuting, and long-term cost of ownership.
For insurers, this means rethinking risk models, coverage offerings, and premiums. For drivers, it means that insurance is evolving from a “just-in-case crash” safety net to a broader “weather, risk protection” tool.
It also means we all need to pay attention, to our environment, to changing weather norms, and to how we protect our property. Because sometimes, getting caught in a hailstorm or flood isn’t about bad luck, it’s about living in times when weather doesn’t play by old rules anymore.