Hurricane insurance

What is hurricane insurance?

The term “hurricane insurance” can be misleading. There is no single coverage that addresses all the damage caused by a hurricane. However, most homeowners insurance policies do offer coverage for hurricane wind damage. If you live in a hurricane-prone area like Florida, your homeowners insurance policy usually has a separate deductible – a hurricane deductible – that applies for the wind damage caused by named storms.

For the flood damage that accompanies hurricanes, you need either a separate flood policy altogether or to add a flood insurance endorsement to your policy. A standard homeowners insurance policy doesn’t cover water damage caused by storm surge, and hurricane insurance doesn’t cover storm surge damage, either. (More on that distinction in a bit.)

Does flood insurance cover hurricanes?

Flood insurance can cover damage caused by storm surge and flooding caused by hurricanes. Many homeowners secure their flood insurance under a separate policy managed by the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program, but some private insurers also offer coverage options.

The carriers we work with offer flood coverage as an endorsement to homeowners insurance policy in both Florida and Louisiana.

The relationship between flood insurance and hurricanes

The close relationship between flooding and wind damage has created the impression that a single, separate hurricane policy exists. People generally use the term “hurricane insurance” to refer to the act of covering your home from high winds and flood water, the two destructive forces attributed to hurricanes.

But for the most part, these two forces are treated separately by the insurance industry. Hurricane wind damage is a covered peril in most home insurance policies. Flooding, however, is not – which is why many homeowners need flood insurance. It typically covers rising waters that damage homes from the outside, such as overflow from lakes and rivers and flooding from heavy rains.

Flood insurance can also cover water damage from storm surges and tidal flooding. You should note, however, that flood policies usually don’t cover flooding that starts in the home. That type of flood damage may be covered by your home insurance policy, depending on the cause of the flooding.

The standard homeowner’s policy is designed to provide coverage for your home during a catastrophic event but does not cover flooding.

Hurricane insurance vs. flood insurance

Where hurricane coverage ends and flood insurance begins can be hard to assess, so let’s look at a few sample scenarios.

• Scenario 1: A hurricane hits the coast of Florida and tears the roof off your house. Without its roof and exposed to the hurricane’s torrential rain, the home is flooded. Because the water damage was a result of the wind’s damage to the roof, your hurricane insurance would likely cover both the roof and water-related repairs.

• Scenario 2: A hurricane strikes, but your home stays miraculously intact despite the incredibly strong winds. However, your street is flooding from the storm surge and downpour, and your basement floods. Because hurricane wind damage didn’t create an opening for the flooding, you would need flood insurance to pay for this water damage.

• Scenario 3: This time, a hurricane hits your home and rips an opening in your roof, allowing the downpour into your home. Your street is also flooded from the heavy rains and storm surge. This makes it hard to separate which was the true source of flood damage to the home – the storm surge from the flooded street or the opening in your roof that let all the water in – so both your hurricane and flood insurance providers need to investigate to determine the cause.

These scenarios are meant to be illustrative only. Every insurance company has its own criteria for assessing damage and its source. That’s why, if you live in a region prone to hurricanes and flooding, it’s smart to have both hurricane and flood insurance. You never know when you’ll need them.

Having the right expectations for coverage

Knowing how hurricane insurance works – and how it’s different from flood insurance – is essential for protecting homes in coastal areas. If you don’t understand what’s covered, you may find that you’re underinsured when the next hurricane hits.

Common misperceptions about home insurance

• Hurricane coverage protects against winds and flooding.
• Flood insurance is included under standard home insurance.
• Finding affordable home or flood insurance is impossible.

But you should also know that the hurricane coverage in your policy is only one part of protecting your home. The second part is minimizing risks. Hardening your home against hurricane damage goes a long way toward reducing damage and keeping insurance premiums affordable.

How do hurricane deductibles work?

As mentioned earlier, your hurricane deductible is separate from the standard AOP deductible that applies to other covered perils, such as fire, theft, or vandalism claims.

While your general deductible is usually a flat dollar amount, your hurricane deductible can be either a flat dollar amount or a percentage of the coverage you have for your dwelling. 

So let’s say you have $300,000 in dwelling coverage and a 2% hurricane deductible.  That means your out-of-pocket expense for a hurricane claim is $6,000.

Hurricane deductibles are triggered by specific conditions outlined in your policy. In many cases, a storm declared as a hurricane or a named storm by the National Weather Service triggers this deductible.

Hurricane deductibles vary by state, in part because state regulations differ. For example, Florida insurers are required to offer hurricane deductible options of $500, 2%, 5% and 10%.

Which states have hurricane deductibles?

Currently, 19 states allow some type of specific deductible on their hurricane insurance policy form that applies to hurricane wind damage. State laws influence how high or low this deductible can be.

Understanding that hurricane insurance has an additional deductible is important to getting the right policy for your home. Higher deductibles can bring down your premium, but that means you’re responsible to pay out of pocket for more of your losses if you have a loss.

Here is a list of the 19 states. Note that the District of Columbia also requires an additional deductible on hurricane insurance.

• Alabama

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Florida

• Georgia

• Hawaii

• Louisiana

• Maine

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Mississippi

• New Jersey

• New York

• North Carolina

• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• South Carolina

• Texas

• Virginia

States in Tornado Alley, like Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, and South Dakota, may also have an additional wind/hail deductible.

Do you need additional hurricane insurance coverage?

Chances are your homeowners’ insurance hurricane coverage doesn’t pay claims for certain kinds of losses. And remember, hurricane insurance isn’t a specific policy. So to really find peace of mind, you may want to investigate other types of insurance policies that can provide coverage for other types of losses.

This impacts your home insurance shopping in two ways. First, you’ll want to identify what perils are covered when you evaluate various companies’ hurricane insurance quotes. If something strikes you as particularly important to have covered, you may need to add it either with an additional policy or an endorsement.

Next, you’ll need to consider how much more the added coverage will cost. Any time you add coverage, your overall insurance costs are likely going to go up.

When should homeowners buy hurricane insurance?

As with any type of insurance, the time to have hurricane insurance is before you need it. That’s why it’s smart to shop for coverage or to switch insurance providers well before hurricane season. Getting a hurricane insurance quote from several homeowners insurance companies is the best first step.

You should also know that insurance companies often put moratoriums, or binding prohibitions, in place before a catastrophic event. This delays your ability to purchase coverage or change insurance companies by as much as 24 to 48 hours before the storm’s predicted impact.

Though moratoriums are infrequent, insurance companies usually put one into effect because of approaching hurricanes, tropical storms, wildfires, or other catastrophes.

Tips for buying hurricane insurance

The most important tip for getting the best hurricane insurance is to evaluate your particular situation. Every home has its own set of perils to consider – and every homeowner has to decide how much risk they’re willing to take on. Other tips for buying home insurance hurricane coverage include:

• Choose a hurricane deductible that’s realistic. A higher hurricane deductible reduces your premium, but you’ll be on the hook for more out of pocket expenses when you need to rebuild or repair your home after a storm.

• Don’t wait to buy or switch your coverage. If you’re thinking about buying a policy or switching carriers, do it before hurricane season. You don’t want a moratorium to delay your protection. Get an online quote today.

• Get a windstorm mitigation inspection. Florida home insurance companies are required to offer discounts for wind mitigation efforts. Make sure yours are rewarded! Plus, your inspection will tell you what updates can make your home even more wind resistant – and save you more money on your premiums.

Want more information about hurricane coverage? Check out our state guides:

• Alabama hurricane insurance

• Florida hurricane insurance

• Louisiana hurricane insurance

• Mississippi hurricane insurance

• South Carolina hurricane insurance

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