It depends on your insurance policy. Many policies are typically written to cover damage caused by hurricanes. Still, the insurance company may require a separate and usually higher hurricane deductible or a percentage of your coverage limit to be paid before they cover the rest of your repair or replacement costs.
What is a hurricane deductible?
A hurricane deductible is the amount of money a policyholder has to pay before their insurance company covers the damage to their property after a hurricane.
Check your policy or ask your agent if you have a separate hurricane – or named storm – deductible in your policy. It’s common to see this language in policies for homes in high-risk, hurricane-prone areas like many parts of Florida. Hurricane deductibles are usually a fixed amount or percentage of your policy’s coverage limit.
Along the east coast of the U.S., 19 states have a hurricane deductible in place, and the conditions that cause them to activate can vary greatly from state to state and even policy to policy. Some of these activation conditions can include The National Weather Service stating the storm is a hurricane, while others activate depending on the hurricane’s strength.
Does flooding from a hurricane count as hurricane damage?
Flood damage, regardless of its cause, is usually not covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy – even if the policy states it covers hurricane damage. There are some instances where you can add some form of flood insurance to your policy. Review your policy and see if you are already protected in the event of a flood. If you are not protected, then the best thing to do is to sign up for flood insurance to ensure you have the financial protection you need in the
event of a disaster.
What happens if your insurance company denies or underpays you for your hurricane damage claim?
We see insurance companies deny valid hurricane damage claims often. Our team can still help you. Schedule a consultation or call us to discover your options 855-585-2997.
