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What hurricane insurance does and doesn’t cover

On Behalf of | Apr 14, 2021 | Natural Disasters

When people live in hurricane-prone areas like Texas, they go out of their way to make sure that they protect their homes as much as they can. They choose construction that is as hurricane proof as possible, get tools to help them make emergency repairs and assume that their home insurance policies cover them in case of hurricane damage. People often discover way too late that their homeowners’ insurance policies don’t protect them from many expenses related to hurricanes.

What does hurricane insurance cover?

The first thing people need to realize is that hurricane insurance is actually a collection of different types of insurance coverage. Hurricane insurance is a combination of things like flood insurance, windstorm coverage and your homeowners’ insurance. All of these insurance coverages together may cover the costs you incur from damage relating to a hurricane or other natural disasters. The type of hurricane insurance coverage you get out of this collection of policies will determine exactly what you’re covered for in the case of an extreme weather event.

A standard homeowners’ insurance policy may protect you from some of the damage you may incur from a hurricane, but it may not cover everything. Flood insurance actually covers damage related to storm surge, wind-driven water and other types of flooding. This type of coverage fills in the gap that home insurance coverage does not fill.

You may also get sewer backup coverage. This type of coverage will most likely need to be added to your homeowners’ insurance policy as an endorsement.

One of the most important types of coverage you may need to get is additional living expense coverage, or ALE. This type of coverage will provide you with living expenses for things like renting a home or staying in a hotel if you need to live somewhere else while your home is being repaired.

Where can someone go for help with issues regarding hurricane insurance?

Hurricanes can be extremely devastating, causing very expensive damage to your home. People who are struggling with questions about hurricane coverage may benefit from working with attorneys who have experience with these types of cases.