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How Hurricane Deductibles Work
Based on NAIC, Insurance Information Institute, and Policygenius hurricane deductible data, and this site's own NFIP flood insurance data, updated August 2026.
A hurricane deductible is a percentage, not a flat dollar figure, and it only covers part of what a hurricane can damage. Here is the full mechanic, including the part most homeowners miss.
Data sourced from NAIC, Insurance Information Institute, Policygenius
A percentage of your dwelling coverage, not a flat dollar figure
In 20 states plus Washington, D.C., a homeowners policy carries a separate hurricane or named-storm deductible instead of, or on top of, the standard flat deductible most people expect.
Rather than a flat $500 or $1,000, it is calculated as a percentage of your dwelling coverage amount, typically 1% to 5%, and sometimes up to 10% in the highest-risk coastal areas.
On a $300,000 dwelling coverage amount, here is what that actually means in dollars compared to a typical $1,000 flat deductible:
- FL (2% typical): $6,000 out of pocket, roughly 6x a standard flat deductible.
- LA (4% typical): $12,000 out of pocket, roughly 12x a standard flat deductible.
- TX (3% typical): $9,000 out of pocket, roughly 9x a standard flat deductible.
The math scales directly with your coverage amount: double the dwelling coverage and the dollar deductible doubles too, since it is always a percentage of that number, not your total claim and not your home's market value.
The part most homeowners miss: it only covers wind
A hurricane or named-storm deductible applies to wind and wind-driven rain damage under your homeowners policy, full stop. It does not extend to storm surge or flood damage, which standard homeowners insurance excludes entirely, no matter what deductible you carry or how large your hurricane deductible is.
Flood damage, including storm surge from a hurricane, is only covered by a separate flood insurance policy, most commonly backed by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which this site's own flood insurance data shows averages around $976 a year nationally, and which carries its own separate deductible, entirely independent of your homeowners hurricane deductible.
That split matters most exactly when it is least convenient to discover: after a direct hit that causes both wind and flood damage to the same home, which is common, not an edge case, in a serious hurricane.
The wind damage gets adjusted under your homeowners policy against your hurricane deductible. The flood damage gets adjusted separately under your flood policy against its own deductible. You are not choosing between the two deductibles, you can owe both, on two different claims, from the same storm.
Per storm, or per year: a real difference in a bad season
Florida and Louisiana both apply their hurricane deductible once per calendar year, regardless of how many separate storms make landfall, a genuinely homeowner-friendly rule most other states with a hurricane deductible do not share.
In states without that protection, a hurricane deductible can apply separately to each individual storm, meaning an active season with multiple landfalling storms could mean paying the percentage deductible more than once in the same year.
Checking whether your state (and your specific policy) applies a per-storm or per-year rule is worth doing before hurricane season, not after a second storm hits.
Know your real number, and your real exposure
Your actual hurricane deductible percentage is set by your specific policy, not chosen freely off a state average, so your homeowners declarations page is the only way to know your real number for certain.
Once you know it, the more complete question is not just "what is my hurricane deductible" but "what would I actually owe across both a homeowners claim and a flood claim after a real storm," since coastal properties frequently need both.
Frequently asked questions
Does my hurricane deductible cover flood damage from storm surge?
No, and this is the single most important thing to understand about hurricane deductibles. A hurricane or named-storm deductible applies to wind and wind-driven rain damage under your homeowners policy.
Storm surge and flood damage are excluded from homeowners insurance entirely, no matter what deductible you carry, and are only covered by a separate flood insurance policy with its own separate deductible.
So after a hurricane, could I owe two separate deductibles?
Yes, if your home takes both wind damage and flood damage in the same storm, which is common in a direct hit. You would pay your hurricane/wind deductible on the wind-damage claim under your homeowners policy, and separately pay your flood policy's own deductible on the flood-damage claim, two different deductibles on two different policies, adjusted independently.
Does the hurricane deductible apply once per storm or once per year?
It depends on the state. Florida and Louisiana both apply their hurricane deductible once per calendar year regardless of how many separate storms hit, an unusual, homeowner-friendly rule most other states do not share. In most other states with a hurricane deductible, it applies separately to each individual storm.
How do I find my own actual percentage instead of a state typical figure?
Check your homeowners declarations page, the document your insurer sends at each renewal. It lists your specific hurricane or named-storm deductible percentage, or confirms you only carry a standard flat deductible. State-level typical figures are a starting point, not a substitute for your actual policy number.