Hurricane season officially opens June 1 and runs through November 30. The work that protects you is the work you do now, in the calm before any storm has a name — because once a storm is in the forecast, your options narrow fast. Here is a checklist. This is educational information, not a quote; coverage and availability vary by insurer and property.
Review your wind and hurricane deductible
Pull your policy and find your hurricane or windstorm deductible. In coastal states it is usually a percentage of your dwelling coverage rather than a flat dollar figure, which means it can be a large out-of-pocket number before coverage applies. Calculate the actual dollar amount now so it is not a shock during a claim. Confirm your dwelling is insured at a level that reflects current rebuilding costs.
Confirm your flood coverage — and mind the clock
Standard homeowners policies exclude flood, and a large share of hurricane damage is water, not wind. If you want flood coverage and do not have it, remember that new flood policies generally carry a waiting period before they take effect. Buying now, well before any storm, is the entire point. Waiting until a system is approaching is too late.
Document a home inventory
If you ever file a claim, the documentation is what speeds it up. Walk through your home with your phone and photograph or video every room, including closets, the garage, and valuable items. Store the file somewhere off-site or in the cloud so it survives if the home does not. Reconstructing a list of your belongings after a loss, from memory, is miserable and incomplete.
Look into mitigation credits
Many insurers offer premium credits for features that reduce storm damage — a newer or wind-rated roof, hurricane shutters or impact windows, and certain construction reinforcements. If you have made these improvements, make sure your insurer knows, because they can lower your premium. If you have not, the potential credit may help justify the upgrade.
Know the binding moratorium
Insurers typically stop binding new coverage or changes once a storm enters a defined area or is named — a binding moratorium. This is the hard deadline behind everything above. The window to adjust coverage, add flood, or increase limits closes when a storm approaches, sometimes for days at a time. Make your changes during quiet weather.
A quick prep list
- · Trim trees and secure loose outdoor items.
- · Know how to shut off utilities.
- · Keep important documents in a waterproof, portable place.
- · Have a household plan for evacuation if it comes to that.
The Alliance take
Almost everything that goes wrong in a storm claim traces back to a gap that was knowable in May. A short review now is the cheapest protection you will buy all year.
Want help reviewing your coverage before June 1? Reach out.