Is a hurricane covered by homeowners insurance?
How hurricane deductibles are triggered
Policies with a hurricane or named storm deductible define when it applies. Common triggers include:
- the National Hurricane Center naming the storm or issuing a hurricane watch or warning for any part of the state;
- the storm reaching hurricane strength;
- a time window, such as from the watch or warning until a set number of hours after it ends.
Outside that trigger, the regular wind and hail deductible applies. Read the endorsement on your policy; two neighbors with different insurers can have different results from the same storm.
How inland Georgia gets hit
By the time tropical systems reach metro Atlanta and North Georgia, they are usually weaker, but they can still bring damaging gusts for hours, saturated ground that lets trees topple, and tornadoes in the outer bands. Many inland claims are trees on roofs and shingles peeled off by sustained wind.
Flood is still separate
No homeowners policy covers rising water. Inland flooding from heavy tropical rain needs a flood policy, and NFIP policies generally take 30 days to start.
Check your declarations page
- Look for "hurricane" or "named storm" next to any deductible.
- Convert percentages to dollars using your dwelling limit.
- Read the endorsement's trigger wording.
- Confirm whether you have flood coverage.
More: percentage deductibles and wind damage roof claims.