Homeowners insurance helps pay for additional living expenses if you move temporarily after a covered loss, such as a hurricane. Your policy may reimburse you for the cost of hotel and food expenses while your home is being repaired. The coverage limit for additional living expenses is sometimes a predetermined amount set by the insurance company, but you may have the option to increase the limits for more protection. You can file several claims for supplemental damage until your home has been restored to its pre-storm condition.
If your contractor discovers even more damage when work begins, you can contact your insurer again. This process can be repeated until all damage caused by the hurricane has been repaired. While hurricane deductibles can be expensive, coverage is essential protection for those in areas at high hurricane risk. Hurricane deductibles are generally activated by an official hurricane resolution from the National Weather Service, but they may vary slightly by state and insurance company.
Fortunately, there's usually no hurricane deductible for renters insurance policies, just the standard deductible. Hurricane damage (such as flood and wind damage) to your car is generally covered, as long as your auto policy includes comprehensive insurance. Factors such as global warming may be causing hurricanes to increase in intensity and frequency, meaning homeowners along the coast must understand how their homeowners insurance coverage reacts to these storms. A hurricane moratorium is a period of time after a hurricane is forecast in which insurance companies do not subscribe to new policies or allow the coverage of existing policies to be updated.
Your fellow citizens, elected officials and the media are paying attention to how insurance companies treat hurricane survivors. If your home insurance covers wind damage or other damage caused by the hurricane, claims may be subject to a separate deductible. Rebuilding is an excellent time to increase the resilience of your home, so you're less likely to have an insurance claim and have to pay a deductible determined for future storms or hurricanes. Almost every state on the Atlantic coast allows insurance companies to require a separate hurricane deductible.
Some homeowners may be surprised to learn that floods, even caused by a hurricane, are generally not covered by a standard home insurance policy. Debris removal after a hurricane can easily exceed that limit, so it's a good idea to check if your insurer offers a coverage endorsement to increase reimbursement for debris removal. When it comes to hurricane protection, insurance policies for renters are just as important as policies for homeowners, but in two different circumstances. Insured homeowners should get coverage for some or all of the damage caused by the hurricane.
There is no “hurricane insurance” or “hurricane coverage”, but there is insurance that covers damage associated with hurricanes.
