Wind Damage
Most homeowners policies cover wind damage, but a separate, often percentage-based wind or hurricane deductible may apply in storm-prone states.
Free to compare
Your declarations page will say whether you have a flat dollar deductible or a percentage one, and which storms trigger it. A percentage deductible is based on your dwelling coverage amount, not the repair cost. On a house insured for $300,000 with a 2% wind deductible, you would cover the first $6,000 before coverage starts. Some states set this off by named storm, others by wind and hail generally. Check that detail now, because it decides what you owe before any claim gets paid.
Your wind deductible is worth checking against other policies
A percentage deductible on one policy can mean thousands more out of pocket than a flat one on another. Comparing policies now shows what you'd actually owe before a storm, not after.
What to do right after the storm
Document the damage before you touch anything. Photos and video of the roof, siding, windows, downed trees and anything inside that got wet or crushed give the adjuster a clear record of what the storm did, and they back up your account if there's ever a dispute about what happened when. Take wide shots of the whole property, then closer ones of each damaged area.
Cover broken windows and holes in the roof with tarps or boards if you can do it safely. Most policies require you to prevent further damage once the storm has passed, and the cost of reasonable repairs like a tarp or plywood is usually reimbursed. Keep the receipts. What a policy generally will not cover is damage that gets worse over the following weeks because nothing was done to stop water from getting in.
Call to start the claim as soon as you can. In a widespread event like a hurricane or a regional hailstorm, adjusters get backed up fast, and the order claims come in often affects how quickly someone gets out to look at the house. Have your policy number ready, along with the photos and a plain description of what happened, which tree fell, when the wind picked up, what you heard or saw.
An adjuster will inspect the property and estimate the cost of repairs, then apply your deductible to that figure, whether it's a flat dollar amount or a percentage of your dwelling coverage. If the estimate seems low against quotes from your own contractor, you can push back and ask for a reinspection. Keep every piece of paper from the claim, the initial estimate, any supplements, the final settlement, in case questions come up later about what was covered and what wasn't. If the damage affects a shared structure like a fence with a neighbor or a tree that fell from someone else's yard onto your roof, whose policy pays can depend on where the tree was rooted and local rules about falling trees, so that's worth asking the adjuster directly rather than assuming.
What a storm claim does and doesn't cover once the adjuster's been out
A wind damage claim usually covers the roof, siding, windows, fences and detached structures, plus anything inside the house that was damaged by rain or debris once the wind opened a way in. Your dwelling coverage pays for the structure itself, and personal property coverage pays for what was inside, furniture, electronics, the things a falling branch or a shattered window ruined. If the storm made the house unlivable, many policies also pay for a hotel or a rental while repairs happen, usually called loss of use, up to a limit listed on your declarations page.
Roof claims draw the most scrutiny, since a roof can be damaged by wind, aged by sun and weather, or both at once. Adjusters distinguish between damage the storm caused and wear that was already there, and an insurer can deny or reduce a claim if they decide the roof was already near the end of its life. Some policies pay the full cost to replace a damaged roof, others pay only its depreciated value unless you carry replacement cost coverage, and that distinction is worth confirming before a storm, not after one. If your roof is older, ask what your policy actually pays for it.
Hurricanes and tornadoes raise a separate question. A standard homeowners policy covers wind damage, but it doesn't cover flooding, and after a hurricane both often happen to the same house at once. If storm surge or rising water gets into the house, that part of the damage falls under a flood policy, not the homeowners policy, and insurers will sometimes split a single claim between wind and water causes. Where the line falls between a roof that let rain in and water that rose from outside can change what gets paid, so if there's any flooding involved, it helps to find out early whether a separate flood claim needs to be filed too.
Living in a place where storms are common also affects what coverage is available in the first place. In some high-risk coastal or hail-prone areas, insurers limit wind coverage or require it through a separate windstorm policy, sometimes backed by a state-run plan rather than a private insurer. If a home is in one of these areas, the declarations page or the insurer can say whether wind is covered under the main policy or carved out into something separate. That distinction matters as much as the deductible itself.
Before the next storm season
Look up your dwelling coverage amount and your wind or hurricane deductible together, then work out the dollar figure that represents. Compare that number against other policies now, while the roof is still fine.
