Are Natural Disasters Covered by Homeowners Insurance?

Living in Florida, we need to be prepared for turbulent weather. That’s why most residents invest in hurricane windows and shutters, hide their cars away behind storm doors and take out additional insurance riders to protect their home or business.

But this took you off-guard. Your home’s one wall blew right out— destroying your living room. Is this covered by your homeowners insurance?

Let’s explore what’s covered and what’s not:

The Benefits of Broad-Range Coverage

Many homeowners choose a broad-range policy, often called an HO-3, because of the policy protects against a wide array of perils, unless it details specific exclusions.

Some natural disasters like lightning strikes, windstorms and hail are usually covered by homeowners insurance, but earthquake and flood damage are often excluded, requiring completely seperate policies.

Hurricanes & Tornados

Hurricanes are a hard one, as the damage often comes in many forms, such as wind, lightning, hail and flooding.

Wind is a peril typically covered by most private homeowners insurances. So, if a storm blows out a retaining wall in your home, this is usually something you can claim, including the repair and damage done to your interior items, up to your coverage limit. (For example, if your limit was 10%, a $200,000 policy would cover up to $20,000 worth of damage).

Unfortunately, flooding related to a hurricane is often NOT covered. In fact, flooding of any sort requires a completely separate flood insurance policy.

Florida is also one of the 19 states that require mandatory hurricane deductibles, helping to cover hail damage. So if your roof is pinged during a storm, you can claim it. Many homeowners insurance policies also cover lightning strikes and resulting fires or explosions.

It’s important to note that most homeowners insurances typically cover damage to detached or attached structures— like your garage— though not always. Read more about structure coverage here as well as fence damage.

Additional Coverage: Flood Insurance

As a resident in Southwest Florida, you live in a flood zone and should strongly consider purchasing additional protection in the event of water intrusion from storm surge. Learn more about securing a separate flood insurance policy.