It's not a legal requirement for homeowners to have windstorm insurance in Florida, since homeowners insurance generally covers damage caused by strong winds. In Florida, residential property policies are also required to cover damage caused by windstorms, such as hurricanes. Insurers must include this coverage in their policies, although policyholders can sign an exemption to remove it from their insurance plan. But first you should go shopping.
Under Florida law, you can only get an insurance policy from Citizens if you can't get it from a Florida-authorized insurance company, or if your premiums are more than 15% higher than the premiums for comparable coverage from Citizens. However, if you live in an area that has a history of serious hurricane damage, such as Florida, your insurance policy may exclude or limit hurricane coverage. On the other hand, in some areas that you don't consider hurricane zones, you may need a different windstorm policy. You may not know if your plan includes storm or flood insurance or what your hurricane deductible is.
And hopefully, you've purchased insurance to cover every realistic problem imaginable that a hurricane could bring. This works similarly to the hurricane deductibles mentioned above, although windstorm insurance is in addition to your regular homeowner's policy. When you file a claim for damages after a hurricane in Florida, there is usually a special hurricane deductible that you must first meet, as indicated by the Florida Division of Consumer Services. If you suffer wind damage from a hurricane, tropical storm, or tornado, you'll have to pay your hurricane deductible before the insurer steps in to pay for the remaining damages, if it's considered that the claim was due to one of the three common wind hazards.
If you're having trouble buying windstorm insurance through any of these companies, you can try buying it through an insurance association, such as Citizens Property Insurance Corp. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (FLOIR) describes several types of home insurance coverage. If you want to get windstorm insurance from a private insurer, the Florida Market Assistance Plan can probably help you or the CHOICES Program of the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. In other words, you'll want to make sure your home insurance is up to date, but you should also probably have windstorm insurance and flood insurance to make sure you're fully covered.
Hurricane insurance in Florida covers your home, your belongings and the additional living expenses associated with any wind-related claim up to the maximum limits of your policy. Generally, the hurricane deductible ranges from one to five percent of the home's insured value, although it can also be a fixed dollar amount. If excluded, you may want to look for a separate wind insurance policy, which is usually a state insurance program.
