SMITHVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) -- Some may want to make sure their homes have the insurance they need/want in case of storm damage.

A massive tornado hit Smithville in April of 2011.

Now, the Smithville School gym is one of the main buildings people come to in Smithville for shelter during storms.

Bessie Terrell of Smithville told WTVA she feels her home is properly covered.

"Yes, it is." said about her home being properly insured in case a storm damages it.

She said she remembers all too well the EF-5 tornado that plowed through Smithville on April 27, 2011.

Luckily that storm veered away from the closet she hunkered in.

Now, if something like that were to happen again, she only hopes she's ready.

"I pray that I am prepared," Terrell said.

ALFA Insurance Agent Greg Ott of Tupelo explained that before severe weather strikes is the best time to ensure you properly insuring your home.

"This would be a good time with the storm season coming to check with your agents and verify your coverages, make sure you have what you have, and check your deductibles."

He said if people have storm damage, they'll need to contact their adjuster first, and then find some local contractors with the adjuster.

"You will pay your deductible first, and then insurance picks up after the deductible."

He couldn't give a dollar amount of insurance coverage because of so many variables on a house, such as the amount it costs and the type of insurance you have, but he advised that you make sure you have what you want before it's too late.

"You can definitely buy different coverage, I mean you have the replacement cost policy, which is gonna replace your house if something happens one hundred percent, or you can get actual cash value, which means the policy is going to be depreciated, so you definitely need to check on which one of the two you have," Ott explained.

"Replacement cost is normally going to be a little bit more because we're going to recover it one hundred percent after your deductible."

"The dollar figure on the cost of the insurance is gonna depend on the deductible, the house, newer houses normally cost less to insure, so there's just too many variables on the cost of the insurance," Ott said.

"Probably the most valuable thing you own is your house. I would think it would be very important to make sure you have the coverage you need on your house," he added.

For Terrell, she said she's just grateful to still be here.

"I just thank God that we did survive the 2011 storm. My daughter lost her business downtown in Smithville, but other than that, I'm so thankful because we do realize that it could've been worse," Terrell said.

Ott added that homeowner's insurance and flood insurance are two separate things. If people have a concern about flooding, he advised they should check with their insurance agent for a flood insurance quote.