Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Storm Damage?

Homeowners insurance covers most storm damage, including wind, hail, lightning, and the weight of snow or ice. However, flood damage from storms is excluded, and hurricane or wind deductibles in coastal states like Florida can be significantly higher than your standard deductible.

Storm damage that is covered

• Wind damage: If wind rips shingles off your roof, breaks windows, or damages your siding, your dwelling coverage pays for repairs. This includes tropical storms and hurricanes in most policies.
• Hail damage: Hail that dents your roof, cracks siding, or damages outdoor fixtures is covered. Roof damage from hail is one of the most common homeowners claims.
• Lightning strikes: If lightning hits your home and causes a fire, structural damage, or an electrical surge that fries your electronics, the damage is covered. Lightning damage to electronics may fall under personal property coverage.
• Fallen trees: A tree knocked down by a storm that damages your home or other insured structures is covered. The cost to remove the tree is also typically covered up to a sub-limit.
• Rain damage after wind: If wind creates an opening in your roof or walls and rain enters, the resulting water damage inside is covered because the wind was the initial cause.

Storm damage that is not covered

• Flooding: Storm surge, rising water, and rainwater pooling outside and entering your home are all flood damage, which is excluded. You need a separate flood policy.
• Gradual storm wear: Damage that accumulates over multiple storms without being repaired is not covered. Each storm event is a separate claim.

Hurricane and wind deductibles

In Florida and other hurricane-prone states, you likely have a separate hurricane or named-storm deductible. This is typically a percentage of your dwelling coverage — 2%, 5%, or even 10%. On a $300,000 home, a 2% hurricane deductible means you pay $6,000 before insurance kicks in. This is much higher than a standard $1,000 or $2,500 deductible and catches many homeowners off guard after a hurricane.

What Truscott recommends

Know your hurricane deductible before storm season. Make sure your dwelling coverage reflects current rebuilding costs, because that is the number your percentage deductible is based on. At Truscott, we review storm coverage with every Florida homeowner and make sure there are no surprises. Request a Truscott policy checkup before hurricane season and we will walk through your storm protection step by step.