Florida
The hurricane deductible, explained with real math
Why a hurricane claim and a wind claim on the same roof can pay out thousands of dollars apart.
Two deductibles, one policy
Florida homeowners policies carry a flat all-perils deductible and a separate hurricane deductible written as a percentage of dwelling coverage — commonly 2%, sometimes 5% or 10%. On a home insured for a mid-six-figure amount, a 2% hurricane deductible is a five-figure number before the policy pays a dollar.
When it applies
Only during a hurricane declared by the National Hurricane Center, from the time a watch or warning is issued for any part of Florida until 72 hours after the last one expires. Damage from a tropical storm that was never a hurricane, or from a squall line the day before the watch, falls under the flat deductible.
Why the date of loss matters
A roofer who documents damage with a date and a weather source is doing more than paperwork — the date decides which deductible applies. Get it right on the first submission; changing it later looks like fraud even when it isn't.