Does homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage?

Q: Can you get homeowners insurance during hurricane season?

Yes , you can buy homeowners insurance at any time. However, many insurance companies impose what’s known as a hurricane moratorium when a storm is approaching. A moratorium means that the insurance company is suspending any new policy applications until after the hurricane passes.

How does home insurance cover hurricane damage?

Standard home insurance covers your home for hurricane damage caused by wind, hail, falling objects (like trees) and some types of water damage. Flooding is excluded from coverage. Your dwelling coverage and other structures coverage pay for structural damage, personal property coverage pays for the contents of your home, and additional living expenses covers the cost of living elsewhere temporarily.

Dwelling coverage. This pays for damage to your home and any attached structures, like a deck. It’s based on the replacement cost of your home and will pay to repair or rebuild up to the policy limits.
Other structures. This coverage pays to repair or replace structures on your property that aren’t attached to the house, like a shed.
Personal property. This covers all of your personal property up to the policy limits, which are usually 50% to 70% of the dwelling coverage, at actual cash value on a standard policy, unless you have added replacement cost to your policy for personal property.
Additional living expenses (ALE). This provides reimbursement for additional living expenses incurred due to the inability to live in your home while repairs are being done on a covered loss, up to your policy limits which are often 30% of the dwelling coverage. It will also pay for a hotel if you are forced to leave your home under a hurricane evacuation order.

What hurricane damage is not covered by homeowners insurance?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding caused by a hurricane or damage to your vehicle. In some coastal areas, standard homeowners insurance excludes windstorm damage and requires the purchase of a separate policy or endorsement. For overland flooding, you need flood insurance, which is a separate policy, and your car insurance will cover damage to your car if you carry comprehensive coverage.

Standard home insurance does not cover:

Flooding from storm surge or overland water, including flash floods from heavy rainfall
Damage to vehicles (requires auto insurance comprehensive coverage)
Wind damage in some coastal areas where windstorm coverage is excluded from the standard policy

How does a hurricane deductible work for home insurance?

A hurricane deductible only applies with a specific trigger event occurs. Triggers are determined by state law and individual insurance companies, and typically include a named storm declaration by the National Hurricane Center. Check your policy or contact your insurer directly to confirm the exact trigger language in your policy.

If your hurricane deductible applies, you will be responsible for that amount before the insurance company pays the rest. Unlike the standard deductible, which is a flat amount, hurricane deductibles are set as a percentage of your dwelling coverage. The most common hurricane deductible is 2%. So, on a house with dwelling coverage of $300,000, the hurricane deductible would be $6,000.

Which states have hurricane deductibles?

The 19 states with some type of hurricane or named storm deductible are:

Alabama
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Mississippi
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Virginia

What additional coverage for hurricanes do you need?

Flood insurance is the main additional coverage needed to cover hurricane damage. Homeowners insurance doesn't cover any damage caused by overland flooding, including storm surges or flash flooding from heavy rainfall. Flood insurance is available from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or private insurers. The national average cost of an NFIP flood insurance policy is $1,271 a year.

To obtain flood insurance:

Determine your FEMA flood zone designation at floodsmart.gov
Contact your homeowners insurer or an independent agent to purchase an NFIP or private flood policy
Note that flood policies typically have a 30-day waiting period before coverage takes effect

In coastal states, windstorm damage may be excluded from a standard homeowners insurance policy in high-risk areas. Homeowners in these states can purchase windstorm coverage as a policy endorsement or through a state-run insurer of last resort. Examples include the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) in Texas and Citizens Property Insurance in Florida. Contact your insurer or your state's department of insurance to determine whether your policy includes windstorm coverage.

How to file a hurricane insurance claim

To file a claim after a hurricane, contact your homeowners insurance company's claims line, and, if there is flood damage, your flood insurance company. Provide details of the damage and follow your adjusters instructions.

Follow these steps for a hurricane insurance claim:

Document all damage immediately with dated photos and video before any cleanup or temporary repairs begin.
Contact your insurance company or file a claim through their app or website as soon as it is safe to do so.
Make temporary repairs to prevent further damage, such as covering a damaged roof with a tarp, and save all receipts for reimbursement.
Separate damaged personal property from undamaged items and create a written inventory for your adjuster.
Ask your insurer whether a hurricane deductible applies to your claim and confirm the trigger language in your policy.
If your home is uninhabitable, request immediate activation of your additional living expenses (ALE) coverage.

FAQ: Home insurance for hurricanes

Can you get homeowners insurance during hurricane season?

Yes, you can buy homeowners insurance at any time. However, many insurance companies impose what’s known as a hurricane moratorium when a storm is approaching. A moratorium means that the insurance company is suspending any new policy applications until after the hurricane passes.

What happens if you don’t have adequate hurricane coverage?

If hurricane repair costs exceed your policy limits, you are personally responsible for the remaining amount. To avoid this, review your dwelling coverage limit annually and ensure it equals the full replacement cost of your home, not its market value. If you are underinsured after a loss, FEMA disaster assistance and Small Business Administration disaster loans may provide limited additional relief, but neither replaces adequate insurance coverage.