Hurricane & Named Storm Deductible Rules - All 50 States + DC

Purpose: Reference table for hurricane and named storm deductible requirements, triggers, percentages, and reset rules by state.

Last Updated: August 2026 (verified against statutes, regulations and DOI guidance)

Sources: State statutes and regulations, state insurance department guidance, NAIC, Insurance Information Institute (III)

Overview

Hurricane deductibles (also called named storm deductibles or wind deductibles) are separate, often higher deductibles that apply specifically to damage from hurricanes or named tropical storms. These deductibles are typically expressed as a percentage of the dwelling coverage limit rather than a flat dollar amount.

Purpose: Hurricane deductibles help keep insurance available and affordable in coastal areas by requiring policyholders to share more of the risk from catastrophic storm losses.

Verification: Every row below was checked against the cited statute, regulation or state insurance department page. Only a handful of states (CT, FL, LA, MD, ME, NJ, NY, NC, RI, SC, DE) set hurricane-deductible rules by statute or regulation; elsewhere the deductible, its trigger and its percentage are set by policy language. Rows marked "(not confirmed from text)" rest on secondary sources (NAIC, III, DOI consumer guides) rather than statutory text. District of Columbia, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Pennsylvania were re-checked against official sources: Mississippi is regulated by 19 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 1, Ch. 41; Massachusetts wind/named-storm deductibles are documented in the Division of Insurance annual home insurance report and the FAIR Plan (MPIUA) filing; DC and Georgia rest on DISB consumer guidance and Georgia Underwriting Association policy forms respectively (no statute or regulation in either); Pennsylvania has no statute, regulation, PID guidance or FAIR Plan named-storm deductible, so its inclusion rests on insurer practice reported by III.

States with Hurricane/Named Storm Deductibles

As of 2026, 19 states and the District of Columbia have some form of hurricane, named storm or windstorm deductible regulation or standard practice.

States WITHOUT Hurricane Deductibles

These states use standard "all peril" deductibles for wind/storm damage. Several (e.g., Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma) commonly have separate wind/hail percentage deductibles, which are policy-based and are not hurricane deductibles:

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Deductible Triggers by State

What Activates a Hurricane Deductible?

The trigger is the event that causes the hurricane deductible (instead of the standard deductible) to apply. Most states have no statutory trigger; the policy language controls. The states below define the trigger by statute, regulation or official guidance.

Other trigger types seen in policy language (landfall, governor declaration) are insurer-specific and are not required by any state cited above.

Florida Hurricane Deductible Rules (F.S. § 627.701)

Florida has the most detailed hurricane deductible statute. Section 627.701 sets the deductible options, disclosure and annual application; § 627.4025 defines "hurricane" and "hurricane deductible."

Hurricane Duration (§ 627.4025(2)(c))

The hurricane deductible applies to losses during a hurricane, which:

1. Begins: When the NHC issues a hurricane warning for any part of Florida (amended by ch. 2023-130; previously watch or warning)
2. Includes: The period during which hurricane conditions exist anywhere in Florida
3. Ends: 72 hours after the termination of the last hurricane watch or warning issued for any part of Florida

Required Deductible Options (§ 627.701(3)(a))

Florida insurers must offer these hurricane deductible options:

A risk insured for less than $500,000 may not carry a hurricane deductible above 10% unless the conditions of § 627.701(4)(d) are met.

Annual Application (§ 627.701(5))

For personal lines residential policies issued or renewed on or after May 1, 2005, the hurricane deductible applies on an annual (calendar-year) basis: once satisfied, later hurricanes in the same calendar year are subject to the greater of the remaining hurricane deductible or the standard deductible. Insurers must also offer a per-hurricane alternative (§ 627.701(5)(b)).

Florida Disclosure Requirements (§ 627.701(4)(a))

The policy face must carry, in boldfaced 18-point type: "THIS POLICY CONTAINS A SEPARATE DEDUCTIBLE FOR HURRICANE LOSSES, WHICH MAY RESULT IN HIGH OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES TO YOU." The declarations page must state the dollar equivalent of any percentage deductible.

Deductible Calculation Examples

Example 1: Florida Home with 5% Hurricane Deductible

If a hurricane causes $50,000 damage:

• Claim Payment = $50,000 - $20,000 = $30,000
• A second hurricane in the same calendar year is subject only to the standard deductible (or any remaining portion of the $20,000), per § 627.701(5)(a).

Example 2: Louisiana Home with 2% Named Storm Deductible

If a named storm causes $25,000 damage:

• Claim Payment = $25,000 - $6,000 = $19,000
• Under R.S. 22:1337 the $6,000 applies once per calendar year; a later storm that year is subject to the greater of the remaining named-storm deductible or the standard deductible.

Deductible Reset Rules

How deductibles reset after being applied varies by policy and state:

State-Specific Reset Rules

Texas Windstorm Deductibles

Texas has unique rules due to TWIA (Texas Windstorm Insurance Association) for coastal counties. The TWIA deductible is a windstorm and hail deductible applying to any wind or hail event; it is not triggered by a named storm.

TWIA Coverage Area

14 coastal counties and parts of Harris County east of Highway 146: Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Willacy

Texas Deductible Rules

Special Considerations

Separate Deductibles

Many coastal policies have multiple deductibles:

Connecticut Shoreline Rule

The 2,600-foot line comes from the Insurance Department's coastal underwriting guidelines, not statute:

• Beyond 2,600 ft from the coast: hurricane deductible on new business capped at 2% (or mitigation measures in lieu of a deductible)
• Within 2,600 ft: insurer may require both a hurricane deductible and mitigation; the guidelines state no cap
• Trigger is statutory (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 38a-316a(b)): hurricane warning plus sustained winds of 74 mph or more in Connecticut, ending 24 hours after the warning ends. Section 38a-316b is the storm-shutter premium discount, not a deductible rule.

Waiting Periods

Some policies have waiting periods after purchase before the hurricane deductible applies (typically 30 days). This is policy-based, not statutory.

Consumer Disclosure Requirements

Several states require insurers to clearly disclose:

Choosing a Hurricane Deductible

Trade-offs

Premium Impact (Example)

Key Takeaways for Claims Professionals

1. Check Policy First: Most states have no statutory trigger; hurricane deductible terms are set by the policy
2. Verify Trigger: Did the triggering event occur (warning, measured wind speed, named storm) as the policy or statute defines it?
3. Calculate Correctly: Use dwelling coverage amount × percentage
4. Document Timeline: When did damage occur relative to the trigger period?
5. Multiple Storms: FL, LA and RI apply the deductible once per calendar year by law; elsewhere check the policy
6. Florida Period: Begins at a hurricane warning and ends 72 hours after the last watch or warning terminates
7. Texas: TWIA deductible is windstorm/hail per occurrence, 1% standard and optional up to 5%; no named-storm trigger
8. Separate Deductibles: Verify which deductible applies to the specific damage

Common Disputes

This table is for reference purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. State laws and policy terms vary; verify current requirements before relying on this information.