The San Francisco Bay Area was hit with flooding recently, as many drivers were stranded in deep water and driving across flooded streets. Despite being relieved to reach safety, they now have to deal with the damage to their cars. Do they have insurance to cover the repair costs?

A comprehensive auto insurance policy is essential in flood areas, as it's the one type of policy coverage that encompasses floods. According to MoneyGeek, almost 62% of Californians residents do have automobile insurance plans with comprehensive coverage. But, that leaves many Californians without it - approximately 14.8 million drivers.

Many of these drivers stranded on the I-880, many of whom abandoned their vehicles, are concerned about whether they have the correct type of insurance to cover their losses.

Driving through flooded streets has been a problem for motorists throughout the Bay Area for several days now.

There is a high probability that a comprehensive insurance policy will cover most types of losses, even those not the result of accidents. It is undoubtedly true to say that flooding represents one of these losses.

The results of a recent study suggest that there are approximately 3 million insured motorists in the Bay Area, but there are about 1.8 million without comprehensive coverage.

"If you don't have comprehensive insurance and you had flood damage, that means the repair costs are going to have to be paid by you," said Mark Fitzpatrick, an analyst with Money Geek, a consumer group. "If you don't have savings on hand, that's going to be tough to make those repairs... because your insurance company is not going to cover it."

If your car was flooded, you should take your vehicle to an auto shop and quickly file a claim with the insurance company, as the damage may not be apparent for weeks since the water may have seeped into the inner workings of the car. It can lead to corrosion and rust. After getting out of the flood, some drivers discover their vehicles seem to be running perfectly, only to find out that they can't even start them a month later.