Hurricanes and Insurance: All Water Damage Isn't the Same When It Comes to Coverage
Set to hit the Gulf Coast today and tomorrow, Hurricane Sally is forecast to bring rain that's especially heavy to areas that are unusually far inland, along with storm surges and a risk of tornadoes. Some of these perils are routinely covered by regular home insurance, while others aren't.
The National Hurricane Center advisory on Sally warns of winds high enough — at a sustained 85 mph — to qualify as hurricane strength, though those speeds are comparatively tame compared with the sustained 150 mph winds of Hurricane Laura last month. Yet Sally is also expected to move far inland, creating the conditions that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) identifies as conducive to creating tornadoes.
But, as with Hurricane Isaias, water may be the most damaging element of Sally — and not from only the expected storm surge of between one and nine inched along coastal areas. The slow inland movement of Sally is also expected to create an unusual amount of rain. Where the typical hurricane brings six to 12 inches of rain, the NHC predicts "10 to 20 inches of rainfall with isolated amounts of 30 inches along and just inland of the central Gulf Coast from the western Florida Panhandle to far southeastern Mississippi. Historic flooding is possible."
Here’s a quick overview of how the predicted damage from Sally may or may not be covered by the typical insurance policies on homes and other possessions.
