Can You Live in an RV on Your Own Property After the Columbus Storms?

Yes. If the August 11 storms made your Columbus-area home unlivable, you can place a furnished travel trailer on your own driveway or lot and live there while your home is repaired, and if your damage came from wind, your homeowners insurance will typically pay for it under Additional Living Expense coverage. Here is how that works, what the emergency declarations changed, and what to do this week.

What happened in Columbus on August 11

A storm complex that the Storm Prediction Center has preliminarily classified as a derecho crossed from Iowa through Chicago and Indiana and into central Ohio on Tuesday, August 11. The National Weather Service recorded a wind gust of 82 mph in Columbus, and on August 13 confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down on the city's south side. Damage reports concentrated in south and southeast Columbus, Olde Towne East, Clintonville, and Upper Arlington. The Columbus Division of Fire answered more than 1,100 calls on August 11, and at the height of the storm 131 calls came in almost simultaneously, prompting every available unit in the city to respond, one of the largest responses in the city's history.

Mayor Andrew Ginther declared a city emergency on August 12, and Governor DeWine declared a state of emergency for Franklin County on August 13, after earlier declarations for Perry and Muskingum counties, where flooding forced evacuations in Roseville and Crooksville. The Ohio National Guard has been activated for flood response in southeast Ohio.

Does my insurance pay for temporary housing?

If wind or the tornado damaged your home, almost certainly yes. Wind is a covered peril under standard homeowners policies, and when a covered loss makes your home uninhabitable, the Loss of Use section of your policy (usually called Additional Living Expense, or ALE) pays the reasonable increase in your living costs while repairs happen. That includes temporary housing.

ALE is not a blank check. It has a dollar cap, commonly 20 to 30 percent of your dwelling coverage, and it has to last the entire repair timeline. That is the argument for housing that draws down the cap slowly: an RV placed on your own property keeps your family together, keeps pets at home, keeps kids in their school, and avoids the two-hotel-room problem that burns ALE fast for any family that does not fit in one room. Here is what to expect from living in an RV on your property during repairs. If you want the numbers, here is what temporary RV housing costs.

What if I have both wind damage and water damage?

This matters in central Ohio right now, because the same week brought record rain. Standard homeowners policies cover water that enters through storm damage (rain through a wind-opened roof) but exclude flood, meaning rising water from outside. If your losses are mixed, your adjuster will separate the causes. Push to have the wind-caused damage documented first, because that is what opens the door to ALE. Get every ALE conversation with your adjuster in writing. If your adjuster is cool on the idea of an RV, here is why adjusters hesitate and when they have a point.

Do I need a permit to put an RV on my property in Columbus?

Usually yes, and the process is workable. Temporary occupancy of an RV during a rebuild is typically handled through a temporary use permit tied to your building permit, issued by your city or township. The emergency declarations do not erase permit requirements, but they create the documented basis for local officials to approve temporary housing quickly. We confirm the requirement with the local building department for every placement before the unit ships. You do not need to research this yourself.

How fast can a unit be placed?

We are based in Columbus and have units ready now. A typical placement involves confirming your lot access, utility connections (we handle setup), and the permit conversation with your jurisdiction. In an active recovery, days matter: contractor crews rebuilding the region book up extended-stay hotel and rental inventory first, and central Ohio's rental market was tight before the storm.

Frequently asked questions