Is storm damage covered by home insurance?
Short answer. Most storm damage is covered: standard homeowners policies pay for damage from wind, hail, lightning, the weight of ice and snow, and trees that fall on the house, minus your deductible. Flood and rising water are excluded and need flood insurance, and sewer or drain backup needs a separate endorsement.
Storm damage, covered or not
- Wind tearing off shingles or siding: covered.
- Hail bruising the roof or denting gutters: covered, subject to any cosmetic exclusion.
- Lightning strike or the surge it causes: generally covered.
- Tree or limb falling on the house: covered, along with removal from the house.
- Ice weight collapsing gutters or a porch roof: generally covered.
- Rain through a wind or hail opening: covered.
- Rain through old flashing or a worn roof: not covered; that is maintenance.
- Flood, storm surge or water rising from the ground: not covered without flood insurance.
- Sewer or drain backup: not covered without a water backup endorsement.
- Mudslides and earth movement: generally excluded.
What decides the payment
Your deductible, possibly a separate percentage deductible for wind and hail; whether the roof settles at replacement cost or actual cash value; and whether the damage is sudden storm damage rather than wear. See ACV vs RCV.
A note on flood coverage
Flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer generally carries a 30 day waiting period, so it has to be in place well before a storm. Homes outside mapped flood zones flood too, especially in heavy thunderstorms.
After a storm
Protect the home from further damage, photograph everything and report promptly. Start with the after a storm checklist and interior water damage coverage.