Hurricane season in the U.S. runs from June 1st through November 30th.[1]. These storms can cause devastating damage to your home and assets. There are many steps in preparing for a hurricane, but one thing you can take care of today is to evaluate your insurance coverage before the storm hits.

Update Your Insurance Before a Hurricane

Do you have enough homeowners or renters’ insurance coverage in case of a hurricane? Should you add flood insurance? Does your auto insurance provide coverage for storm damage to your car? You should consider these questions well before a storm hits, since many insurers might enforce a waiting period before coverage can apply, especially when a storm is coming. The best time to evaluate your insurance to determine if you have enough coverage for damages arising from a hurricane is before the start of hurricane season.

Some insurers may enforce a waiting period before your coverage goes into effect, particularly if you are purchasing flood insurance; waiting periods for flood insurance may vary depending on the carrier. Others may enact waiting periods when serious storms are forecasted. To help avoid coverage issues, plan ahead when making changes to your insurance policies.

The end of hurricane season can be quite active, as major hurricanes can form in August or September. Some memorable hurricanes occurred during the end of the season: Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast in October 2012, Hurricane Harvey struck in August 2017, and Hurricane Michael was in October 2018[2]. You never know when the next big storm will hit, so having sufficient insurance coverage year-round is advisable.

Each year, you should re-evaluate your insurance policies to ensure you have enough coverage to rebuild, repair or replace your assets in case of a covered disaster. With hurricanes, they can cause devastating damage, it’s smart to evaluate your policies before hurricane season hits.

Homeowners Insurance

For homeowners, you’ll want to make sure you have enough structures coverage to repair or rebuild and enough contents coverage to replace your belongings. You should also check on your Additional Living Expenses or ALE coverage to review how much your policy includes, should the worst happen and you need to relocate as the result of damage to your home caused by a covered loss.

While most homeowners’ insurance policies will cover damage from wind, much of the damage from a hurricane comes from water, which usually requires a separate flood insurance policy. Flood damage from a hurricane is likely not covered by your homeowner’s insurance.

Make sure your homeowner’s coverage is ready for the storm. Speak with an InsuraMatch agent today at 833-463-2832 or request a quote online.

Renters Insurance

If you have renters’ insurance, you should evaluate your policy to determine if you have enough coverage to replace all your contents and if to see if your policy also includes additional living expense coverage.

An agent can help you with your renters insurance. Call an agent today at 833-463-2832 or request a quote online.

Flood Insurance

Typically, flood insurance policies must be purchased separately from a typical homeowner's insurance policies." If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, even if you’re inland, you may want to consider flood insurance.

Homes in low to medium-risk flood zones, as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, have the option of purchasing flood insurance. But residents of areas defined as high risk must purchase flood insurance if their homes are still under mortgage, and if that mortgage is backed by the federal government.[3]

Thinking about flood insurance? Give our insurance agents a call at 833-463-2832 to learn more or request a quote online.

Auto Insurance

For auto insurance, you’ll want to carry coverage to repair damages caused by the storm. Generally, damages like those that are caused by hurricanes  can be covered under comprehensive coverage. This coverage is optional and if you opt for the minimums mandated by your state for auto insurance coverage, you likely will not have it. If you live in a storm-prone area, you may want to consult your insurance agent to see about adding on comprehensive.

Review your auto insurance policy with one of our insurance agents at 844-282-6808 to see if you could benefit from comprehensive coverage or request a quote online.

Conclusion

Hurricanes can cause huge amounts of damage. One way to help manage your risk during hurricane season is with the proper insurance coverage for your needs. Evaluate your policies before hurricane season to help make sure you are ready for any storm that heads your way.