Hurricane insurance (also sometimes may include wind and hail insurance) is retained to cover the cost of rebuilding your home in the event of hurricane damages. Homeowner’s insurance usually covers the cost to repair common hurricane damage, including damage to your home’s roofs and walls, garage, and your personal belongings.
Hurricane insurance is different from flood coverage. A homeowner’s insurance policy usually covers wind damage and wind-driven damage. But, most policies do not cover damage caused by wind driven water.
After Hurricane Katrina, a key question has been whether storm surges caused by hurricanes are covered under homeowners' policies. Many insurance companies classify “storm surges” differently than “hurricane wind,” and do not provide coverage for storm surges.
The fine print and vague wording of many homeowners’ policies lead to a lot of confusion after a hurricane. Many homebuyers are not fully educated about the coverage needed to protect their home in case of a disaster. Make sure that you understand what exactly is covered by your hurricane insurance policy when you sign-up for coverage, so you know what to expect in case of hurricane damage.
If you have proper coverage, and know what you are entitled to in the event of a hurricane, you will be in a much better position if disaster does strike. Coverage for hurricane insurance includes:
- Wind damage
- Water damage that is a direct result of rain entering through a wind-damaged area.
- Fire resulting from the hurricane
- Vandalism or theft in the aftermath
The items most commonly covered by hurricane insurance are:
- Cost to repair/rebuild the home
- Cost to repair/rebuild outbuildings like a garage or a shed
- Cash or replacement value of damaged personal property
- Removal of debris
- Removal of downed trees
- Additional living expenses, i.e. hotel room if the house is uninhabitable.
To ensure maximum hurricane recovery, consider to hire a public adjuster to help file your insurance and FEMA claims. The public adjuster will assist you in making sure that you are getting a fair settlement for your loss. Public adjusters will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, help you through the complicated FEMA paperwork, as well as help to expedite your claim to get money to you in a timely manner.
