Does homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage?

Homeowners insurance policies typically cover damage from strong winds, including hurricanes. However, your policy may have a separate deductible for hurricane damage. A hurricane insurance deductible is sometimes higher than your policy’s standard deductible and could be a percentage of one or more of your coverage limits. Not every standard home insurance policy will cover windstorms, though, so check with your insurer to see if you’re covered and whether a separate deductible applies.

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How does home insurance cover hurricane damage?

Your home insurance policy can protect against hurricane damage in the following ways:

If a hurricane causes damage to your home’s structure, dwelling coverage may pay for repairs up to your policy’s limits.*
If your personal belongings are also damaged as a result of the hurricane, personal property coverage may pay to repair or replace damaged items, up to the limits of your policy.*
If you’re unable to live in your home due to damage from a hurricane, your policy’s loss of use coverage may pay for a hotel, meals, and living expenses above what you’d normally spend.

*Both dwelling and personal property coverages include a deductible. Note that your deductible for a windstorm claim might be set significantly higher than your policy’s deductible for other perils.

What is a hurricane deductible?

You may be required to have a separate home insurance deductible for hurricane losses, especially if you live in a high-risk area, such as along the Atlantic Coast. Your policy may include a “named storm” deductible, commonly referred to as a “hurricane deductible,” which will apply once a storm has reached a certain strength. For instance, if a storm moves beyond a tropical depression and eventually becomes a named hurricane that causes damage to your property, then your hurricane deductible will apply. With hurricane deductibles, you may pay a specified percentage, usually between 1-5%, instead of a flat amount, depending on your policy.

Example:Suppose your hurricane deductible is 2% of your dwelling coverage. If your dwelling coverage is $200,000 and you file a $10,000 claim for hurricane damage, then your insurer will pay you $6,000 if your claim is approved. You’re responsible for the remaining $4,000.

The conditions in which a hurricane deductible will apply, if your policy has one, vary from state to state. For certain states, the National Weather Service must declare the storm to be a hurricane. And in other states, the hurricane must reach a specific category level, such as 3 or 4.

Does homeowners insurance cover flooding from a hurricane?

Standard homeowners insurance policies won’t cover flood damage. You need a separate flood insurance policy to protect your home against flooding from the outside, caused by a hurricane. Some insurers offer a flood endorsement that can be part of your existing homeowners policy.