Coverage explainer
Hurricane deductibles, explained.
The number that decides whether one storm is a $2,500 inconvenience or a $25,000 hit to your savings.
Outside of hurricane country, your homeowners deductible is a flat number — $1,000, $2,500, $5,000. You pay that, the carrier pays the rest.
In coastal and hurricane-exposed states (FL, TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC, VA), there's a second deductible that only triggers on hurricane damage, and it's a percentage of your dwelling limit — not a dollar amount.
What this looks like in dollars
| Dwelling limit | Hurricane % | You pay |
|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | 2% | $5,000 |
| $400,000 | 5% | $20,000 |
| $600,000 | 5% | $30,000 |
| $800,000 | 10% | $80,000 |
Applied per storm. Two named hurricanes in one season can mean two full deductibles.
The four words that decide your bill
Read your dec page carefully. The trigger language varies:
- Hurricane deductible — only applies when NWS officially declares a hurricane.
- Named-storm deductible — applies to any named tropical storm. Triggers earlier and more often.
- Wind/hail deductible — applies to any wind event, including thunderstorms. The broadest and most expensive.
- All-other-peril (AOP) deductible — your standard flat deductible for everything else.
If your dec page shows a percentage where you expected a dollar amount, you have a percentage deductible. Calculate it now — don't wait for a storm.
Calculate your hurricane exposure
Use our hail/wind deductible calculator — same percentage math.
Open the calculatorFrequently asked
What is a hurricane deductible?
A hurricane deductible is a separate, higher deductible that applies only when damage is caused by a named hurricane. It's usually expressed as a percentage of your dwelling coverage (Coverage A) — typically 1% to 10% — instead of a flat dollar amount.
How is a hurricane deductible calculated?
Multiply your dwelling coverage by the deductible percentage. Example: a $500,000 dwelling limit with a 5% hurricane deductible means $25,000 out of pocket before the carrier pays anything on a hurricane claim.
Hurricane deductible vs named-storm deductible — what's the difference?
A hurricane deductible only triggers when the National Weather Service has officially named a storm 'Hurricane'. A named-storm deductible triggers earlier — for any named tropical storm. Named-storm is broader (worse for you), hurricane is narrower (better).
Does the hurricane deductible apply per storm or per year?
Per storm in most states. If two hurricanes hit in one season, you may owe two full hurricane deductibles. A few states (FL, NC) have annual-cap rules — check your state's department of insurance.
Can I avoid a hurricane deductible?
In most coastal states, no — carriers require it. But you can often reduce the percentage (5% → 2%) for a small premium increase. Run the math: lowering a 5% deductible to 2% on a $400k home saves $12k of out-of-pocket exposure, often for a few hundred dollars a year.
Named-storm deductible vs hurricane deductible
A named-storm deductible triggers the moment the National Hurricane Center names a tropical storm — Tropical Storm Bonnie, Tropical Storm Idalia. A hurricane deductible only triggers when that storm is officially upgraded to a hurricane (sustained 74+ mph winds).
That difference is bigger than it sounds. A named-storm deductible can apply to damage from a tropical storm that never becomes a hurricane — which is more common in coastal states. If your dec page says "named storm" instead of "hurricane", expect that percentage deductible to trigger more often.
- Triggers: named-storm = any named tropical system; hurricane = NWS-declared hurricane only.
- Duration: usually from the official NWS warning until 24–72 hours after the warning is lifted, per your policy language.
- Per storm: applied once per named event, but two storms in one season = two full deductibles in most states.
Outside coastal hurricane states, the same percentage-deductible math applies to wind and hail deductibles — common across Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.
See your hurricane deductible in dollars — not percent.
Upload your declarations page and we'll calculate exactly what you'd pay out of pocket per named storm.
Keep reading
Percentage vs Flat Deductible
Side-by-side: what each costs at common dwelling limits.
Read moreDeductiblesFlorida Named Storm Deductible
2%, 5%, 10% — what triggers it and what it costs in dollars.
Read moreDeductiblesTexas Hail & Wind Deductibles
DFW, San Antonio, coastal Texas — real-dollar exposure tables.
Read more CalculatorHail Deductible Calculator
Calculate your out-of-pocket exposure per storm.
Try the calculator