You may have heard the phrase before, but there's technically no single policy known as hurricane insurance. Rather, the term refers to a combination of policies that cover your home against the two main causes of hurricane damage: water and wind.
Each type of insurance has its own exclusions, so the policies work together to fill in gaps left by the others. Here’s what you need to know.
How does hurricane insurance work?
Depending on where you live, you’ll need a combination of these policies to be covered against hurricane damage:
- Homeowners insurance.
- Flood insurance.
- Windstorm insurance.
Homeowners insurance
A standard homeowners insurance policy covers damage caused by windstorms, including hurricanes. These policies usually include coverage for water damage caused by wind. For instance, if a hurricane blows a tree branch into your window during a hurricane, damage caused by rain coming through the broken glass will generally be covered. Read more about what homeowners insurance covers.
But your homeowners insurance policy likely has exclusions that could leave you underinsured in case of a hurricane. This is where flood and windstorm insurance come in.
Flood insurance
While your homeowners policy will likely cover wind-driven water damage, your policy won't cover damage caused by flooding and storm surge. You'll need flood insurance for that.
You can buy flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program or on the private market. Many major insurers provide flood insurance through an arrangement with the NFIP, so you may be able to buy it from your home insurance agent.
There’s a 30-day waiting period before most flood policies go into effect, so don’t wait until a hurricane looms to buy one. Read more about flood insurance.
Windstorm insurance
In most places, standard home insurance policies cover wind damage. However, if you live in a coastal area of a hurricane-prone state, your policy may not cover it. If that’s the case, you’ll need windstorm insurance.
You can buy this coverage through your insurance company, which may offer it as an option you can add onto your policy. You may also be able to get it from a state-run insurance pool.
Below are examples of associations offering windstorm insurance coverage for homeowners who live in high-risk coastal areas and can’t buy it elsewhere. (These associations also often offer coverage for hail damage.) This insurance may be in the form of a stand-alone wind policy or a homeowners policy that includes wind coverage.
- Connecticut: Coastal Market Assistance Program.
- Florida: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. (Read NerdWallet's Citizens home insurance review.)
- Georgia: Georgia Underwriting Association.
- Maryland: Maryland Joint Insurance Association.
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association.
- Mississippi: Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association.
- New Jersey: New Jersey Insurance Underwriting Association.
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Joint Reinsurance Association.
- South Carolina: South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association.
- Virginia: Virginia Property Insurance Association.
Does renters insurance cover hurricane damage?
Renters insurance pays for some types of hurricane damage, but others will require more coverage.
Wind: Most renters insurance pays for wind damage, although this coverage is sometimes excluded in high-risk areas. If wind damage is a concern, check your policy to make sure you’re covered. If not, contact your insurer to see if you can add this coverage to your policy. Read more about renters insurance coverage.
Flooding: Most renters policies won’t cover flood damage to your stuff — whether from a hurricane or other storm. If you’re renting a house or first-floor apartment near a water source, it may be worth buying flood insurance. However, it may be hard to find if you live in a basement apartment. (Your landlord’s insurance covers only the building’s structure, not your belongings.) Learn more about flood insurance for renters.
Windstorm, named storm and hurricane deductibles
Some homeowners have more than one deductible: a standard one for more claims and another one for windstorms, named storms or hurricanes. (A deductible is the part of your claim that you're responsible for paying before your insurer kicks in.)
It's important to understand how each deductible is calculated. Your standard home insurance policy usually carries a deductible that’s a flat dollar amount, like $1,000 or $2,500. This is often known as an “all other perils” (AOP) deductible.
Example: You have a $1,000 deductible and a kitchen fire does $5,000 worth of damage to your home. You would pay the first $1,000 while the insurer covers the remaining $4,000.
If you live in a coastal area, your insurer may require a separate deductible for hurricane, named storm or windstorm damage. These deductibles are typically a percentage of your home’s dwelling coverage limit. They usually range from 1% to 15%, though they can be higher in high-risk coastal areas.
Example: Your home's structure is insured for $500,000 and you have a 5% wind deductible. After a hurricane, you're responsible for the first $25,000 of wind damage.
There are important differences among deductibles for hurricanes, named storms and windstorms:
Windstorm deductible. Sometimes called a wind/hail deductible, this applies to damage from hurricanes, tornadoes or other strong winds.
Named storm deductible. This type of deductible takes effect if your home is damaged in a storm that’s been named by the National Weather Service or the National Hurricane Center. A tornado or other unnamed windstorm won't trigger this type of deductible.
Hurricane deductible. A hurricane deductible is generally triggered only when a storm has high enough winds to be categorized as a hurricane (rather than a tropical storm or depression). Although all hurricanes would trigger a named storm deductible, not all named storms are strong enough to become hurricanes. So if you have a hurricane deductible and the storm that damages your home had tropical storm winds, you'd pay your "all other perils" deductible, not the hurricane deductible.
The following 19 coastal states and Washington, D.C., allow insurers to charge special deductibles for hurricane damage, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Deductible requirements vary by state. Here are some examples:
Florida. Insurers must offer hurricane deductible options of $500, 2%, 5% and 10%. Deductibles can exceed 10% in some cases. The state has a “single season hurricane deductible,” which means you’re responsible for only one hurricane deductible during a given hurricane season, even if your home is hit by multiple storms. Once you’ve met your hurricane deductible, the "all other perils" deductible on your policy will apply for any subsequent hurricane claims.
Massachusetts. Some insurance companies have mandatory wind deductibles for residents who live in coastal areas. These may be fixed dollar amounts or percentages, depending on how much coverage you need and how close you are to the shore.
New York. Wind or hurricane deductibles generally range from 1% to 5%. Hurricane deductibles may be mandatory if you live in certain areas. If you have one, your insurer must list it as a dollar amount on your home insurance declarations page (the page near the front of your policy that spells out your coverage limits).
Rhode Island. A windstorm deductible on a homeowners policy cannot exceed 5% of a home’s insured value.
Check with your insurer to make sure you understand the deductibles that apply to your policy and when they might be triggered.
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How much is hurricane insurance?
The average cost of homeowners insurance in the U.S. is $2,490 per year, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis. The average federal flood insurance policy costs about $976 a year, according to NerdWallet’s analysis. That adds up to a total hurricane insurance cost of $3,466 per year, on average. (See how much flood insurance costs in your state.)
Some coastal homeowners will need to add wind coverage on top of flood and homeowners insurance to be fully covered for a hurricane — and it can be pricey. As an example, the average annual residential premium from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association is $2,877.
Hurricane insurance costs significantly less if you’re renting. The average cost of renters insurance is $151 per year, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis. When we got sample quotes for flood insurance on the NFIP’s website, the price was a little more than $300 per year for each of the three first-floor units we tried.
Your own rates will vary depending on where you live, the amount of hurricane coverage you need and the deductibles you choose.
Tips for buying hurricane insurance
- Get enough coverage. Whether you’re buying home, flood or windstorm insurance — or all three — make sure you have enough coverage to pay for the full cost of rebuilding your house and replacing your possessions. Your insurance agent can help you pinpoint the right amount.
- Don’t put it off. Flood insurance policies usually impose a 30-day waiting period between the time you buy and the time coverage takes effect. And insurers typically won’t adjust your coverage once a storm is forecast.
- Shop around. Any time your policy is up for renewal, you may be able to save money by comparing home insurance quotes to find a lower rate for the same coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there such a thing as hurricane insurance?
Technically, no. To fully cover your home for hurricane damage, you need at least two types of coverage: flood insurance and homeowners insurance. Depending on where you live and what your homeowners policy covers, you may need separate windstorm insurance, too.
Who pays for hurricane damage?
Depending on the cause — water or wind — hurricane damage could be covered by your homeowners, flood or windstorm policies. Hiring a public adjuster can help you get the most out of your insurance policies. Note that even if you’re fully insured, you may end up paying thousands of dollars for repairs because wind and hurricane deductibles can be quite high. If you don’t have flood insurance, other assistance may be available.
What happens if your car is damaged in a hurricane?
Flood and wind damage to your car are covered as long as you have comprehensive insurance on your auto policy. Comprehensive insurance typically carries a deductible of $500-$1,500, which would be subtracted from your claim payout.
How much is hurricane insurance in Florida?
The average cost of flood insurance in Florida is $938, while homeowners insurance costs $3,390 a year on average, according to NerdWallet’s rate analysis. Depending on where you live, you may also need separate windstorm insurance. Your rates will depend on where you live and how much coverage you need.
Methodology
Homeowners insurance rates methodology
NerdWallet calculated median rates for 40-year-old homeowners from various insurance companies in ZIP codes across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. All rates are rounded to the nearest $5.
Sample homeowners were nonsmokers with good credit living in a single-family, two-story home built in 1984. They had a $1,000 deductible and the following coverage limits:
- $400,000 in dwelling coverage.
- $40,000 in other structures coverage.
- $200,000 in personal property coverage.
- $80,000 in loss of use coverage.
- $300,000 in liability coverage.
- $1,000 in medical payments coverage.
We made minor changes to the sample policy in cases where rates for the above coverage limits or deductibles weren’t available.
These are sample rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
Flood insurance rates methodology
NerdWallet used the National Flood Insurance Program’s most recent “Policy Information by State” report to calculate the average cost of flood insurance in each state and across the country. To determine the national average, we divided the total written premium for all communities across the U.S. by the total number of policies in force. To determine the average for each state, we divided the total written premium for all communities within that state by the state’s total number of policies in force.
Renters insurance rates methodology
To find the average cost of renters insurance in the U.S., NerdWallet calculated the median rate for 30-year-old tenants from multiple insurance companies in every ZIP code across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. We also looked at median rates by city and state. Sample tenants were nonsmokers with good credit living in a two-bedroom apartment. They had a $500 deductible and the following coverage limits:
- $30,000 in personal property coverage.
- $100,000 in liability coverage.
- $10,000 in additional living expenses coverage.
- $1,000 in medical payments coverage.
We made minor changes to the sample policy in cases where rates for the above coverage limits or deductibles weren’t available.
These are sample rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
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- 1. Insurance Information Institute. Background on: Hurricane and Windstorm Deductibles. Accessed May 26, 2026.
- 2. Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Rates.
