Hurricane & wind damage claims: where they go wrong

Hurricane claims turn on what you documented before anyone repaired anything, and whether the damage was wind (typically covered by homeowners insurance) or flood (a separate policy). Getting that distinction wrong — or letting someone else get it wrong for you — is how valid claims die.

Document before you repair

Before any work beyond emergency mitigation (tarps, board-up), photograph every room, the roof from ground level, the yard, and any water line from surge. Date-stamped phone photos are sufficient. Keep every receipt from day one — tarps, plywood, hotel nights, meals if your policy includes additional living expense coverage.

The wind-versus-flood dispute

Standard homeowners policies typically cover wind damage; flood requires a separate policy through the NFIP or a private carrier. When a hurricane brings both wind and rising water, carriers and flood insurers can each point at the other. Your leverage is documentation of how water entered — wind-created openings first, rising water second — which is why first-day photos matter more than anything reconstructed later.

Deadlines and reopening

Policies commonly require "prompt" notice, and hurricane losses in coastal states may carry specific windows for filing and for supplemental claims. Reopening a claim for damage that appears months later — hidden roof intrusion, mold behind walls — is normal and allowed, but runs on a clock set by your policy. Check your "Duties After Loss" section.

Emergency declarations change the rules

If your loss falls under a declared state of emergency, two things may change. In Florida, the public adjuster fee cap drops from 20% to 10% (Fla. Stat. §626.854(11)), and the contract cancellation window extends to 30 days from the date of loss or 10 days from execution, whichever is longer (§626.854(7)). Check your state's rules with the fee calculator before signing anything.

What the registry can tell you

The registry lists every licensed public adjuster in Florida and Texas from the state regulator's own records. You can search by city — Miami, Houston, Tampa — or browse hurricane claim adjusters who list this claim type on their profile. Claim types are self-reported by adjusters who claimed their listing.

Sources

• Florida fee cap and cancellation window: Fla. Stat. §626.854 — verified, recorded in docs/statute-notes/fl-cancellation.md
• Texas fee cap: Tex. Ins. Code §4102 — verified, states.json
• Wind vs. flood distinction: standard industry knowledge; check your specific policy language

Related

• Commercial and business interruption claims
• Fire and smoke claims: the inventory is the claim
• Flood claims: a different policy, different rules