Hurricane Insurance Claims: What will be covered?
If you have lived in Florida long enough, you know that hurricanes can cause an extensive amount of damage to your home. It is particularly important to know how to file a claim with your insurance company for hurricane damage to ensure that you are fully covered. While every home insurance plan will vary, most basic plans cover the following:
Dwelling Coverage (Coverage A): This is the primary component of any home insurance policy. This coverage pays to repair or rebuild the damage caused to the physical structure of the home caused by severe weather.
Other Structures (Coverage B): This includes coverage for things such as a garage, pool screen, sheds, and fences.
Personal Property (Coverage C): This covers items such as furniture, clothing, electronics, and appliances.
Alternate Living Expenses (ALE)/Loss of Use (Coverage D): If your home is uninhabitable while it is being repaired, you will need to find temporary housing. This covers the additional costs you may incur.
What is NOT Covered?
Flood damage caused by a hurricane is not covered by your home insurance policy and requires a separate flood insurance policy. However, if rain got into your home due to damage caused by wind, such as part of a roof blowing off because of a hurricane, your home insurance policy may provide some protection. In Florida, standard insurance policies do not cover wind damage and you will need to separately purchase windstorm coverage.
Tips for buying hurricane insurance
Follow these tips to be sure you have adequate hurricane protection for your home.
Insure your home based on its replacement cost. Replacement cost offers more protection because the cost of building a home often exceeds its market value.
If you don't have flood insurance, buy it. If you have a policy, check the expiration date and renew it if needed, as they are sold as one-year policies.
Not all policies have hurricane deductibles, but if yours does, be aware of how hurricane deductibles work and choose the one you can afford the most. They are typically 1% to 5% of your dwelling coverage amount.