Is hurricane insurance the same as wind insurance?

Whether you only have a homeowner's policy or a home policy and a windstorm policy, coverage may not be enough. A hurricane brings wind and water, but a windstorm policy will only cover you against the wind. A windstorm insurance policy may be different from a hurricane insurance policy. With windstorm insurance, coverage covers only wind damage.

While there is no specific hurricane insurance, this insurance may refer to a combination of a windstorm policy, flood insurance and homeowners insurance. It is specialized property insurance, also known as hurricane insurance. It helps cover your home, other structures and personal belongings if they are damaged by hurricanes, hail, tornadoes, or other windstorms. A standard homeowners policy may not cover these types of events if you live in a high-risk coastal area.

And most property insurance doesn't cover damage from storm surges or floods. If you're thinking about buying a home in one of these areas, your lender will most likely require you to have windstorm insurance and flood insurance, in addition to homeowners insurance. Hurricane insurance can also refer to special types of disaster insurance that specifically cover floods or extreme winds (which actually cause property damage). However, if you return and your property has suffered significant damage, the separate portion of the living costs of your insurance policy will cover the incremental costs you incur while living somewhere else, such as a hotel.

For a homeowner to have to pay a hurricane deductible, there usually must be a named hurricane in the area. The typical insurance policy for homeowners or rental properties doesn't include flood coverage and, in some places, you may also need to get a wind-only insurance policy. If you already have a problem with your insurance company as a result of these types of problems, be sure to consult with an experienced insurance dispute lawyer as soon as possible. You may need to purchase a separate wind, hail or windstorm insurance policy to supplement your coverage.

In the case of floods and water damage, homeowners insurance generally covers some types of water damage, but will exclude floods or storm surges. If you actually had coverage for damage caused by hurricanes or floods and the insurance company doesn't maintain it updated or unfairly denies your claim, this is an action known as “bad faith”. If you live in a high-risk hurricane area, you may have what is known as a hurricane deductible or a designated deductible for storms. Unfortunately, floods associated with hurricanes are often excluded from renters insurance and home insurance, which means that you should consider a flood insurance policy if you're in a high-risk hurricane area and expect potential damage from hurricanes.

If you live near the coast in any of the following states, your homeowners insurance most likely excludes windstorm coverage and you'll need to purchase a separate policy. This means that you should read the fine print of your current policy or, better yet, call the insurance policy provider to learn more about what it covers and what it doesn't cover. If a major storm is approaching, some companies may temporarily suspend new coverage or policy changes for most types of property insurance. However, a renters insurance policy or a homeowners insurance policy may cover some damage caused by the hurricane, depending on the scope of your policy and where you live.

If you live in a coastal area prone to hurricanes, you can request a quote for a flood insurance policy. .