Does home insurance cover storm damage?

Understanding what your policy covers—and excludes—can help you avoid unexpected repair costs after severe weather. Read on to learn which types of storm damage insurance typically covers, when additional protection may be necessary, and what to expect when filing a storm damage insurance claim.

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What types of storm damage does homeowners insurance cover?

Homeowners insurance can cover several types of storm damage, from high winds to lightning strikes. However, coverage depends on the cause of the damage, your policy’s exclusions, and any applicable deductibles. Below, we’ll cover some of the ways home insurance can help cover you from potential losses after a storm.

Wind damage

Standard homeowners insurance typically covers wind damage, including damage caused by tornadoes, hurricanes, and winter storms in most states. For example, if heavy winds blew shingles off of your roof, you’d likely be covered for replacement.

Policies in coastal states may feature an additional deductible for hurricane or windstorm claims, which could result in higher costs depending on your insurer and where you live. Additionally, some coastal states may exclude coverage for windstorms entirely, requiring you to purchase a separate windstorm policy or add an endorsement to your home insurance for windstorm coverage.

Hail damage

Standard home insurance will typically cover you from storm damage caused by hail. For example, if hail strikes your home’s siding and causes dents, cracks, and punctures, your home insurance will likely help cover the repair costs.

However, some insurers apply separate wind and hail deductibles or limit coverage for older roofs.

Lightning damage

Home insurance typically covers fire, smoke, and power-surge damage caused by a lightning strike. For example, if a lightning strike causes a power surge that fries electronics like a television or refrigerator, you’ll likely be covered for repair or replacement.

Bear in mind that coverage for electrical damage from power surges varies depending on the surge’s cause and your policy’s terms.

Fallen trees and branches

If a storm with heavy wind or lightning causes a healthy tree or its branches to fall onto your home and cause damage, you’ll likely be covered by home insurance. Keep in mind that this coverage won’t extend to dead or rotting trees, which you’re responsible for caring for and removing if they pose a risk of causing damage.

Tree removal is also typically only covered if the fallen tree damages your home–trees that fell without doing damage to your house are typically your responsibility to remove out of pocket. However, trees that fall and become an obstacle, like blocking your driveway, may be covered.

Snow and ice

Home insurance will also typically cover you for storm-related damage from snow and ice. For example, if heavy snow piled up on your roof and collapsed a portion of it, you’d likely be covered. Similarly, if ice froze a portion of your plumbing and burst a pipe, your home insurance may also cover the damage.

What types of storm damage aren’t covered by home insurance?

Standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover all types of storm damage. Some require separate policies or endorsements. Below, we’ll cover common storm damage exclusions in home insurance policies.

Flooding

Flood damage isn’t covered by standard home insurance. For example, if heavy rain from a storm caused flooding that damaged your home’s foundation, you likely wouldn’t be covered with standard insurance. However, you can typically get coverage through a separate flood insurance policy from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or private insurers.

Sewer backup

Heavy rainfall during a storm can cause sewer backups that can flood your home, which standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover. For example, if a sewer backup causes water to spill out into your home through drains, toilets, and sump pumps, you’d be left paying for repair costs out of pocket. However, you can add a sewer backup endorsement to your home insurance policy.

Earth movement

Some storm damage is excluded from home insurance, including earth movements and earthquakes. For example, if a landslide occurred because a storm eroded away portions of a hill that slid through your home, you wouldn’t be covered by standard home insurance. However, you could get coverage by purchasing a “Difference in Conditions” insurance policy, which covers landslides, mudflows, earthquakes, and floods.

Wear and tear or poor maintenance

Homeowners coverage typically excludes damage from gradual wear and tear or lack of maintenance. For example, if your 20-year-old roof began to leak during a storm because you hadn’t repaired previously cracked shingles, you likely won’t be covered for damages.

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Does home insurance cover roof damage from a storm?

Home insurance may cover roof damage after a storm, depending on the cause. Homeowners insurance typically covers roofs damaged by wind, hail, lightning, and falling objects like tree branches or yard furniture blown around by strong winds. For example, if lightning strikes your roof and damages patches of shingles, you’d likely be covered for repairing the damage.

However, homeowners insurance often excludes damage from flooding, wear and tear, or poor maintenance. Your policy may also exclude windstorm damage to your roof, depending on your policy and where you live.

Does home insurance cover water damage from storms?

Some types of water damage from storms may be covered, but it largely depends on how water entered your home. You’ll likely be covered if water entered your home as a result of another covered peril. For example, if a tree fell through your roof or a window, causing rainwater to leak into your home, you’d likely be covered for damage. Similarly, water damage from a frozen pipe suddenly bursting during a winter storm is typically covered.

Water damage is typically excluded unless you have a separate flood policy. Water backing up through an outside sewer or drain into your home is also typically excluded unless you add additional coverage. You’ll also only be covered up to your coverage limits and after accounting for your deductible, which is the amount you’ll need to pay out of pocket when making a claim.

Are tornado and hurricane damages covered?

Tornado and hurricane damages are often covered by homeowners insurance, but it can vary between policies and where you live. For example, wind damage to your home, whether from the wind itself or from objects thrown by the wind, is typically covered by standard home insurance. However, some states may exclude wind-related damage, meaning you’d be left paying out of pocket without adding separate windstorm coverage.

Flooding caused by tornadoes and hurricanes is also typically excluded from standard coverage without added flood insurance.

Homeowners in hurricane-prone areas may also face a separate hurricane or windstorm deductible, which can increase their out-of-pocket costs after a covered loss.

How do storm deductibles work?

Storm deductibles are conditions in certain policies that require a separate deductible for storm-related claims than standard homeowners claims. Storm deductibles can be a flat dollar amount or a percentage of the insured home’s value (typically 1%–10%) and are often higher than your standard deductible to account for the increased risk of high claims after a catastrophic storm hits an area.

For example, if your home is insured for $300,000 and your policy has a 5% hurricane deductible, you would be responsible for the first $15,000 of covered hurricane damage in this scenario.

Storm deductibles typically come in one of two variations, depending on your policy:

• Hurricane deductibles: These storm deductibles only come into effect when the damage comes from a named storm or when it reaches a particular level of intensity, and aren’t triggered by standard wind-related damage.
• Windstorm deductibles: These storm deductibles come into effect for any type of wind-related damage.

Only 19 states and Washington, D.C. feature some form of storm deductible, including:

Not every homeowners policy in these states includes a separate storm deductible. Review your policy’s declarations page or contact your insurer to determine which deductibles apply and when they take effect.

How to file a home insurance claim after storm damage occurs

After the storm has passed and you’ve safely checked your home to find storm damage has occurred, you should do the following:

1. Document all damage using photos and video.
2. Keep detailed lists of any damaged personal belongings.
3. Contact your insurance company to start the claims process.
4. If you need to make immediate emergency repairs, keep receipts of the recovery expenses to add to your claim.
5. If the damage makes your home uninhabitable, keep receipts for hotel stays and meals, along with other temporary living expenses, to submit for loss-of-use coverage.
6. Get written estimates from reputable, licensed contractors for potential repair costs. Be wary of potential scammers by researching any prospective contractors.
7. If the damage requires an insurance adjuster to visit, cooperate fully with their investigation and walk your property with them on-site to provide details on the damage.

Storm damage coverage at a glance

Below, we’ll cover the essential information you should know about storm damage coverage:

• Standard home insurance typically covers damage from many storm-related perils, such as wind, lightning, and hail.
• Floods, earth movements, sewer backups and poor maintenance are likely excluded from standard homeowners insurance, even if they occur after or because of a storm.
• Storm damage to your roof is typically covered, although you may face exclusions based on the cause of the damage.
• You’ll typically be covered for wind damage from hurricanes and tornadoes, but you likely won’t be covered for flood damage without separate flood insurance.
• You may be excluded from windstorm coverage depending on where you live.
• Some insurance companies may feature separate deductibles for storm-related claims depending on where you live.

Keep copies of all claim-related documents, receipts, and communications with your insurer until the claim is resolved.

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How to make sure you’re covered before the next storm

To ensure you’re covered before the next storm arrives, consider the following tips:

• Review your home insurance policy to make sure your dwelling coverage limits are high enough to cover your home’s replacement cost in the event a storm destroys your home.
• Check whether you have a separate storm deductible and how much you may need to pay out of pocket after a damaging storm.
• Create a home inventory to track your personal belongings, which can speed up claims processing and help you determine whether you have enough personal property coverage.
• Consider getting coverage for floods, sewer backups, and other perils otherwise excluded from standard home insurance.
• Shop around and get quotes from three to five different insurance companies to see if you can get essential coverage for a lower premium cost.

Frequently asked questions