Is hurricane damage covered under homeowners insurance?
Short answer. Hurricane wind damage is covered under a standard homeowners policy, and so are several costs people forget to claim: removal of trees that hit the house, reasonable temporary repairs, extra living expenses if the home is unlivable, and on standard forms up to two weeks of added living costs if a civil authority bars you from your home because of nearby damage. Flood and storm surge damage are not covered without a flood policy.
The obvious items
- Roof damage from wind: missing shingles, peeled ridge caps, torn flashing.
- Trees and limbs blown onto the house, garage, fence or shed.
- Broken windows and doors.
- Interior damage from rain through those openings.
- Belongings damaged by that rain.
Costs people forget
- Reasonable repairs: tarps, plywood, and other temporary work to protect the home are generally covered. Keep receipts.
- Tree removal: for trees that hit a covered structure or block your driveway, within the removal limit.
- Additional living expenses: if the home cannot be lived in, the increase in your living costs.
- Civil authority: standard forms pay up to two weeks of loss of use if a government order prohibits you from using your home because of direct damage to neighboring property from a covered peril.
- Code upgrades: ordinance or law coverage for code-required work during repairs, within its limit.
- Debris removal of damaged covered property.
What is not covered
- Flood and storm surge, without a flood policy.
- Food spoilage from power outages, unless your policy adds it.
- Pre-existing roof wear the storm exposed.
File everything together
Walk the property, list every item, and include it in one claim. Supplements can add damage found later, but a complete first report gets things moving faster.
More: emergency tarping, code upgrade coverage and interior water damage.