What does named storm mean in insurance?
How a named storm deductible works
If your policy has one, it replaces your regular or wind and hail deductible for losses caused by a named storm. It is usually a percentage of Coverage A, such as 2 or 5 percent; on a $300,000 dwelling limit, 5 percent is $15,000. The policy wording sets the trigger: some apply from the time the storm is named until a set period after it weakens or leaves the state, and some tie it to National Hurricane Center watches and warnings.
Named storm versus hurricane deductible
A hurricane deductible applies only when the storm reaches hurricane strength within the defined period. A named storm deductible applies to tropical storms as well. Check which one your policy uses, because a tropical storm can still bring roof-damaging wind and falling trees well inland.
Where Georgia homeowners see them
They are most common on the Georgia coast. Inland, many policies use a wind and hail deductible instead, which applies to any windstorm, including the remnants of a hurricane; see percentage deductibles.
Other places the term appears
- Binding restrictions: insurers often stop issuing new policies once a named storm threatens an area.
- Wind exclusions: some coastal policies exclude named storm wind, which must then be insured separately.
- Flood: rising water from a named storm is still flood, excluded from homeowners policies.
Before the season
Find any named storm, hurricane or windstorm deductible on your declarations page and work out the dollar amount. Our date of loss page explains why storm dates matter when the deductible depends on the event.