Last Updated on October 18, 2026 by Syed Sarim Naqvi
A hurricane or wind/hail deductible is a percentage of your home’s insured dwelling limit, typically 1% to 5% and in some coastal areas higher, so a 2% deductible on a $400,000 home means you pay the first $8,000 of covered storm damage yourself, whether the claim is $15,000 or $200,000. The catch is that it is separate from your ordinary $1,000 deductible and is switched on by a trigger, such as a hurricane declaration or a named storm.
Key Takeaways
- The Insurance Information Institute lists 19 states and Washington, D.C. with hurricane deductibles, and says percentage deductibles typically run 1% to 5% of a home’s insured value
- The deductible is based on Coverage A, the dwelling limit, not on the size of the claim or the market value of the home
- Lemonade reports wind/hail deductibles of 1% to 5% and hurricane or named-storm deductibles of 2% to 10%
- In Florida, all insurers must offer hurricane deductibles of $500, 2%, 5% and 10%, and the deductible applies once per hurricane season
- A Texas named-storm deductible can trigger once the National Hurricane Center names a storm, at 39 mph winds, before hurricane strength
What Is a Hurricane Deductible?
A summary of Insurance Information Institute guidance explains there are two kinds of wind-damage deductibles: hurricane deductibles, which apply only to damage from hurricanes, and windstorm or wind/hail deductibles, which apply to any kind of wind damage. Bluefield Insurance Group adds that a policy might also have a named-storm deductible. They sit alongside your regular all-other-perils deductible, which still applies to non-wind losses such as a kitchen fire.
How Is the Deductible Calculated?
Protect My Zip’s example: dwelling coverage of $300,000 with a 5% hurricane deductible is $15,000. Bluefield stresses that market value and dwelling coverage are different concepts, so the figure that matters is the Coverage A amount on your declarations page. A 2012 CBS News report gave an illustration: a home insured for $500,000 with a 5% hurricane deductible gets no coverage for the first $25,000 of damage.
| Dwelling Limit | 1% Deductible | 2% Deductible | 5% Deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $15,000 |
| $400,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 | $20,000 |
| $500,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 |
The $400,000 row matches Bluefield’s worked example, and the other rows apply the same multiplication.
What Triggers the Deductible?
CBS News quoted the Insurance Information Institute saying these deductibles have specific triggers: some activate on a hurricane declaration, while others specify a wind speed. Latent Insure says a Texas named-storm deductible triggers once the National Hurricane Center names a tropical storm at 39 mph winds, before it reaches hurricane strength. Openly’s help center explains that a wind/hail deductible applies only when wind or hail is the proximate cause of the damage, and that where allowed you can decline the separate deductible and fall back on the standard one in lower-risk states such as Arizona, Connecticut and Oregon.
Which States Use Them?
The Institute’s list of states with hurricane deductibles is Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C. A 2012 CBS report listed 18 states and said Pennsylvania did not allow them, so lists have changed; check your state. Lemonade says Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama typically run 2% to 5%, and that states prone to hurricanes, windstorms, hail or earthquakes often require separate percentage deductibles on top of the standard one.
How Do Florida and Texas Handle It?
A summary of Florida’s rules, based on Institute information, says hurricane deductibles are set by law and are the same for private insurers and Citizens Property Insurance, that they apply only once per hurricane season, and that insurers must offer $500, 2%, 5% and 10% options. For homes insured under $500,000, the deductible can exceed 10% if the homeowner states the dollar amount in a letter. Latent Insure says Texas wind and hail deductibles are a percentage of Coverage A, and that in the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association’s designated area of 14 coastal counties plus parts of Houston, most carriers exclude wind and hail and TWIA covers those perils on a separate policy.
What Should You Check Before Buying?
- Dollar amount: convert the percentage to dollars using your current dwelling limit
- Trigger: hurricane declaration, named storm or wind speed
- Choice: some states let you buy a lower deductible for a higher premium, depending on distance from the shore
- Dwelling limit: if you renovate, the dollar deductible rises with it
- Flood: a standard policy excludes flood, per CBS
How Does This Connect to Other Storm Cover?
Flood needs its own policy, covered in Flood Insurance Explained, and sewer backups are in Water and Sewer Backup Insurance Explained. Boat owners should read Yacht and Boat Insurance Explained, and luxury homes are in High-Value Home Insurance Explained. Farm losses are covered in Crop Insurance Explained.
FAQ
How is a hurricane deductible calculated?
As a percentage of your dwelling limit, such as 2% of $400,000, which is $8,000.
Is it a percentage of the claim?
No. It is based on your insured dwelling value, not the loss.
What is a typical percentage?
1% to 5%, with higher figures possible in high-risk coastal areas.
What is a named-storm deductible?
One that applies once a storm is named, which can be at 39 mph winds in Texas.
Does it apply every claim?
In Florida it applies once per hurricane season.
Can I choose a lower one?
In some states you can pay a higher premium for a dollar deductible, but not in high-risk coastal areas.
Does it cover flood?
No. A standard policy excludes flood.
Glossary
- Coverage A: the dwelling limit on your policy.
- Trigger: the event that activates a percentage deductible.
- Named-storm deductible: a deductible that applies once a storm is named.
- Wind/hail deductible: a deductible for any qualifying wind or hail loss.
- Wind pool: a state-run market for coastal wind cover.
Sources
- CatAdjuster: Hurricane and Windstorm Deductibles (Insurance Information Institute summary) (19 states, 1% to 5%, triggers)
- CBS News: Superstorm Sandy, Are You Insured? ($25,000 example, triggers, 2012 state list)
- Property Insurance Coverage Law: Florida Hurricane Deductibles ($500, 2%, 5%, 10%; once per season)
- Lemonade: What Is a Homeowners Insurance Deductible? (1% to 5% and 2% to 10% ranges)
- Latent Insure: Wind/Hail Percentage Deductibles in Texas (39 mph trigger, TWIA area)
- Openly Help Center: Wind/Hail Deductibles (flat vs percentage, declining the deductible)
- Bluefield Insurance Group: Windstorm and Hurricane Deductibles Explained ($400,000 example, definitions)
- Protect My Zip: Hurricane Deductible Explained ($300,000 at 5% example)
Related reading: Earthquake Insurance Explained · Umbrella Insurance Explained · Rain and Event Weather Insurance Explained
Published October 2026. Prices and plan terms vary by insurer and change often; always read the deductible percentage, the trigger and your dwelling limit, and refresh this article periodically.
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