Hurricane Insurance Primer

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InfoCenter: Hurricane Insurance Primer

Insurance Basics

In Florida hurricane deductible is regulated by law to be no less than 2% of the value of the property.

This means $2000.00 per each $100,000.00 insured.

Use your head. If your damage expense is around the deductible, it may be better not to file a claim.

Get an estimate as early as possible. Contractors get innundated with calls very quickly.

Be sure to insist that the contractors are licensed and insured.

If an uninsured contractor falls down from a roof or otherwise gets hurt in your property you could face lawsuits than can effectively cost you your home.

Beware of unscrupulous individuals trying to make a quick buck. Get at least two estimates. Buyer Beware!

Take steps to protect your property from further damage as soon as the emergency is over.

You are still responsible for protecting others from damage in your property:

for example a tot drowning in an unprotected pool. (See Code Example)

Most insurance companies cover (reimburse) you for temporary repairs you may make while awaiting permanent repairs.

Check around:

State and Federal agencies (like FEMA) may help you with grants or interest-free loans to cover deductibles and other out of pocket amounts.

Reach out to others. A kind gesture cost you little and it may mean a lot to others.

Visit our Resource links page for useful links, forms related to weather, insurance, disaster claims, etc.

Statistics/Facts

• The term hurricane is from Huracan, the West Indian God of Storms

• There have been only two category 5 hurricanes in the 20th century. UPDATE: Three(3) counting Ivan (2004)

2004 season: Florida's residents are certainly justified in asking "why us?" Jeanne followed exactly the same path charted by Frances in early September; something that has never happened since 1851, when hurricanes were first systematically recorded. It's also the first time since 1886, when four storms struck Texas, that the same state has been hit four times in a season - which still has another month to go.

Naming Hurricanes

• First person to give hurricane names was Clement Wragge, Australian weatherman, who used biblical names

• During WWII, storms were named after women of the Army Meteorological Service, usually after wives and girlfriends back home

• In 1953, the National Weather Service began naming storms alphabetically after women

• In 1978/1979, the names were alternated with men's names

• Atlantic and Pacific Hurricanes use separate alphabetic lists

• The most intense hurricane, as measured by atmospheric pressure, was an unnamed storm that hit the Florida Keys in 1935 with winds in excess of 155 mph

• Hurricane names are recycled every six years

• The list of names for 2004 will be used again in 2010, 2005 will be recycled in 2011, etc.

• The names of famous hurricanes are usually dropped and replaced with something else. Luis has been replaced by Lorenzo and Andrew by Alex

• Names beginning with Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used because there are so few

See actual lists and names here.

Visit our Resource links page for useful links, forms related to weather, insurance, disaster claims, etc.

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