Can you get home insurance after wind damage has already happened?
Short answer. You can usually get a new policy, but it will not cover damage that happened before it started, and many insurers will inspect and require visible wind damage to be repaired before they agree to write the home. If you already had a policy on the storm date, that policy covers the loss, even if you switch insurers afterward.
The pre-existing damage rule
Insurance covers losses that occur during the policy period. Damage from a windstorm last month belongs to whatever policy was in force last month. A new insurer will exclude it, and misstating it on an application can give the new insurer grounds to void the policy.
If you were insured on the storm date
- File with that insurer, even if you have since cancelled or switched.
- The prompt notice requirement still applies, so do not let the switch delay your report.
- Keep the old policy documents and declarations page.
If you were not insured
- Expect insurers to ask about roof condition and recent damage, and to inspect.
- Repairs may be required before coverage is bound. A roofer's invoice and photos of the finished work help.
- If the private market declines, Georgia's FAIR Plan is a fallback for basic property coverage.
- After a federally declared disaster, FEMA and SBA programs may help uninsured homeowners.
Switching insurers mid-claim
You can switch while a claim is open; the old insurer still owes the covered loss under the old policy. But the new insurer may exclude the damaged area until repairs are finished, so coordinate the timing and never leave the house without coverage.
Next steps
Get the roof repaired or replaced, keep the invoice, and send it to your new insurer. See wind damage roof claims and roof age and insurance.