Depending upon the specific type of damage which occurs to a home, homeowners insurance may cover damage which results from a hurricane or a tropical storm. The exact language of the homeowners insurance policy will have to be reviewed by an attorney before a specific legal determination regarding what the policy covers can be made.
Damage from Flood
Typically damage from flooding is not covered by a homeowners insurance policy. The policies typically have an exclusion in regard to damage from flooding. An exclusion means that the language of the policy specifically states that any damage to a home from flooding will not be covered by the homeowners policy.
Damage from Wind
In most instances, damage from wind will be covered by a homeowners insurance policy. This means that if damage is caused by the force of wind from a hurricane, a homeowners insurance policy will likely cover the damage. However, the exact language of the insurance policy will govern. In other words, if the policy does exclude damage from wind, the insurance policy will not permit payment for any wind damage regardless of whether it occurred during a hurricane or not.
Damage from a Lightning Strike
Often times severe thunderstorms and even small tornados occur during a hurricane. In some instances, homes are damaged by a lightning strike. Many homeowners insurance policies will cover a lightning strike. However, as detailed above, the exact language of the homeowners policy must be carefully reviewed in order to determine what type of coverage the policy affords the homeowner.
What Insurance Does Cover Hurricane Damage?
Typically, a person will need to purchase both homeowners insurance and flood insurance in order to have coverage from all of the damage that may be caused by a hurricane. Flood insurance is usually bought through a government sponsored program as well as through private companies if the insurance coverage needed exceeds the amount of coverage that is offered by the government program. It is important to contact a qualified insurance broker in order to determine what coverage is needed.
