Understanding Insurance and Hurricanes

 

Florida is particularly vulnerable to damaging hurricanes because of the state’s coastal location and near-sea-level terrain. From June 1 to November 30, Floridian property owners are on high alert for these potentially devastating storms. It takes just one hurricane to destroy your hard-earned home and possessions. However, with the right coverage, you can withstand the storm and have the needed financial protection to rebuild, if needed.

What Insurance Coverage Do I Need for a Hurricane?

Hurricane insurance isn’t a stand-alone policy but rather a combination of two or more types of insurance. Many homeowners choose to combine homeowners insurance, flood insurance, and other endorsements such as sewer-backup and windstorm coverage. Regardless of the coverage you choose, you need to ensure that you have enough insurance to pay for the total cost of rebuilding your home and replacing your possessions. Lancaster & Associates Insurance, Inc. can help you determine the right amount of coverage you need.

These types of insurance coverage can help you recover from a hurricane.

·       Flood insurance—This can help cover costs related to flooding, storm surge and wind-driven water, which your standard home insurance doesn’t cover. If you rent your home, you can also buy this coverage.

·       Homeowners insurance—This can help protect your home’s structure from damage resulting from a hurricane, wind or lightning. There are exclusions that we can discuss with you in more detail.

o   Additional living expense (ALE) coverage—Homeowners, renters or condo insurance policies usually include coverage for additional living expenses, which is essential because if a covered risk destroys your home, you will need to live somewhere temporarily. You may need more than standard ALE coverage to recover from a significant hurricane loss.

·       Sewer back-up—Heavy rains and hurricanes can cause sewer back-ups. Many home insurance policies exclude this protection. We can add this as an endorsement to your homeowners policy if it’s not already included.

How Much Is Hurricane Coverage?

The cost of insurance to protect your home and belongings depends on many factors, including if you reside in a high-risk flood area and your home’s value and the value of your assets. Floridian Coastline Insurance can help you review your coverage needs and associated costs.

You may choose to add additional endorsements to your homeowners policy for added protection. Ultimately, the additions you choose for your hurricane protection will affect your policy costs.

Can You Buy Last-Minute Insurance?

Usually, you can’t purchase a storm policy once the storm has appeared and there’s a storm warning in effect. Virtually all storm policies have waiting periods, so it’s best not to leave your insurance to the last minute, or you might not get coverage, which could be financially devastating.

How We Can Help

Hurricanes can be extremely damaging. Preparedness is key to the safety of your home and belongings. Insurance provides the financial safety net to enable you to recover from a devastating event like a hurricane. Call Lancaster & Associates Insurance, Inc. today at 407-650-4900 to ensure you have the insurance coverage you need to safeguard your home and assets.