How to File a Storm & Hurricane Damage Claim in Florida
On a hurricane claim, the carrier’s best weapons are the wind-versus-flood line and the anti-concurrent causation clause. Here is how to file around both.
Last reviewed July 2026. General guidance, not legal advice.
A hurricane brings covered wind and excluded flood at once, and Florida policies apply a separate, much larger deductible to hurricane losses. Filing correctly means documenting which damage the wind caused, on its own.
Wind vs. flood: the line that decides the claim
Your homeowners policy covers wind and wind-driven rain; it excludes flood and storm surge, which require separate NFIP flood coverage from FEMA. Damage above the water line and to the roof generally belongs to the wind claim.
How to file, step by step
- Document the damage before any repairs, with dated photos and video.
- Establish a timeline: what the wind damaged before any water rose.
- Report promptly to the correct policy (homeowners for wind, flood for surge).
- Confirm your hurricane deductible on the declarations page (a percentage of your dwelling limit under Fla. Stat. 627.701).
- Watch for an anti-concurrent causation denial and separate the wind damage to counter it.
Common storm-claim pitfalls
Carriers attribute everything to excluded storm surge under an anti-concurrent causation clause, and homeowners are caught off guard by a hurricane deductible that can be tens of thousands of dollars. Both are answered with documentation and a clear causation timeline.
How to File a Storm & Hurricane Damage Claim in Florida FAQs
No. A separate percentage-based hurricane deductible applies (commonly 2%, 5%, or 10% of your dwelling limit under Fla. Stat. 627.701), and it is usually far larger than your standard deductible.
That is an anti-concurrent causation denial. Documenting which damage the wind caused independently, using a timeline and water lines, is how it is challenged.
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Foremost Public Adjusters has recovered millions for policyholders across South Florida. If your claim was denied, delayed, or underpaid, we will review it for free. No recovery, no fee.