As a Florida homeowner, knowing how to protect your property from severe weather is essential. With unpredictable storm seasons, it’s critical to understand the difference between wind insurance and hurricane insurance. While these two policies might seem similar, they serve distinct purposes in safeguarding your home.

Wind insurance covers damage caused by wind from any storm, including hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, or strong winds. In many inland areas where hurricane risk is lower, this coverage is often part of your standard homeowner’s insurance policy.

What Wind Insurance Covers:

• Structural damage to your home, including the roof, walls, and windows
• Damage to outdoor structures like fences, sheds, or detached garages
• Damage to personal property inside the home if wind creates structural issues (such as a hole in the roof)

What Is Hurricane Insurance?

Hurricane insurance is a form of windstorm insurance that activates only when the National Weather Servicedeclares a hurricane. In Florida, most homeowners’ policies come with a separate hurricane deductible that applies specifically to damage caused by hurricanes.

Hurricane insurance covers damage caused by hurricane-force winds, which is critical in Florida, where storms often bring widespread destruction.

What Hurricane Insurance Covers:

• Damage from hurricane winds
• Flying debris and wind-driven rain entering through damaged roofs or broken windows
• Exterior and interior damage caused by the hurricane’s winds

Key Differences Between Wind Insurance and Hurricane Insurance

Triggering Events:

• Wind Insurance covers damage from any wind-related event, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, or hurricanes.
• Hurricane Insurance kicks in only when a storm is officially declared a hurricane by meteorological services.

Deductibles:

• Wind Insurance usually comes with a flat deductible, similar to your regular homeowners insurance deductible.
• Hurricane Insurance in Florida typically has a percentage-based deductible. For example, if your home is insured for $300,000 and your hurricane deductible is 2%, you would pay $6,000 out of pocket before the insurance covers the rest.

Location-Specific Coverage:

Depending on your location in Florida, wind insurance may be part of your standard policy or need to be purchased separately, particularly in coastal areas where hurricanes pose a higher risk.

Hurricane Insurance is often automatically included in most Florida homeowners policies, though coverage specifics vary by provider.

Why You Need Both Types of Insurance

In Florida, having comprehensive coverage for all types of storms is crucial:

• Wind Insurance protects you from everyday storms and non-hurricane wind events, which occur throughout the year.
• Hurricane Insurance covers the more severe damage caused specifically by hurricanes.

Ensuring you have both types of insurance means your home stays protected, no matter what kind of wind-related event occurs.

Get Complete Coverage

While both wind and hurricane insurance shield your home from wind damage, they differ in the specific events they cover and the deductibles involved. Having both is essential for full protection, especially during hurricane season. Review your policy to confirm you’re covered for all types of wind damage.

If wind or hurricanes damage your roof, PRP Roofing is here to help. We specialize in both commercial and residential roofing in Florida, offering durable options like stone-coated metal roofing to withstand wind and storm damage. Unsure about your insurance or need help with a storm-related claim? PRP Roofing is just a call away.