Is It Safe to Park in an Underground Garage During a Typhoon? Flooded-Vehicle Insurance Claims and the Critical Rule Against Restarting Your Car

Surface Parking vs. Underground Garages: Where Should You Park to Avoid Impact Damage and Flooding?

A typhoon has two potentially deadly hazards: violent winds (which can crush vehicles) and torrential rain or storm surges (which can flood vehicles). The priority order for choosing a parking location is as follows:

• Best option (★★★★★): A multi-storey surface car park in a shopping mall or office building (indoor levels 2–4)
• It keeps vehicles away from outdoor trees, billboards, and falling objects, while its elevation of several metres above ground provides complete protection against urban flooding and seawater intrusion.
• Second-best option (★★★★☆): An underground garage in an elevated area, with good drainage and flood barriers at the entrance (choose level B1; never park on B2 or B3)
• If an underground garage is your only option, be sure to park on level B1 near a high point. Avoid garages in older residential communities located near the coast or rivers, or in areas with a history of flooding.
• Fallback option (★★★☆☆): An open, level surface car park
• It must meet the three keep-away requirements: stay away from street trees (especially banyans and eucalyptus trees with shallow root systems), construction barriers and billboards, and the area directly below balconies in older residential buildings (to protect against falling flowerpots and glass).

If a Vehicle Is Flooded or Struck by a Falling Tree, Will Insurance Cover the Damage?

Since the 2020 comprehensive reform of motor vehicle insurance, engine water damage coverage has been automatically included in the Motor Vehicle Damage Insurance (comprehensive vehicle damage insurance). Provided you have vehicle damage insurance:

• Struck by a tree, sign, or hail → Full compensation under vehicle damage insurance (there is no need to pursue the tree or sign owner; the insurer will seek reimbursement through subrogation after paying the claim).
• Flooded by heavy rain or floodwater while parked in a garage or on the roadside → Normal compensation under vehicle damage insurance. If floodwater rises above the instrument panel, the claim will usually be settled directly as a total loss (write-off).

The Only Red Line That Could Bankrupt You: Never Restart Your Car After It Has Stallled in Floodwater!

The insurance policy contains an explicit exclusion: "For expanded losses resulting from the insured forcibly starting the engine (a second attempt to start) after engine damage caused by flooding or driving through water, the insurance company is not liable for compensation."

• What to do: Whether the vehicle stalls while submerged or you find water inside it after going to an underground garage following a typhoon, never press the start button or turn the ignition key! First switch off the vehicle's power supply entirely (or disconnect the negative terminal of the battery), and take photos and videos to document the floodwater line. Then call the insurance company directly and request a free tow truck.