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Hurricane deductible: what it means

A hurricane deductible is a special deductible some home insurance policies apply when the damage is caused by wind, hurricanes or other storms; other damage uses the regular deductible. It can be a fixed amount or a percentage of the amount of insurance, so it can mean high out-of-pocket costs.

In Spanish it is

Deducible de huracán (hurricane deductible)

Also written as: windstorm deductible · wind deductible

Verified on October 17, 2026

4 official sources

See the whole dictionary

The full explanation

In Puerto Rico, if the windstorm deductible is a percentage of the policy limit, the policy must clearly state how many dollars it represents. In Florida, the insurer must show that dollar amount on the declarations page, and the deductible applies per calendar year to all covered hurricane losses.

An example

Lourdes's policy has a percentage hurricane deductible. Before the season, she looks on the declarations page for how many dollars it represents and sets that money aside in her emergency fund.

You will see it in…

The declarations page of your home insurance policy
Your policy renewal notice
The deductible options the insurer offers before issuing the policy

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

More guides that use “hurricane deductible”

Roof: when to repair it and when to replace it

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

1. Oficina del Comisionado de Seguros de Puerto Rico (OCS) · Guía de siniestros después de una catástrofe (external site) · in Spanish · Verified on October 17, 2026
2. Oficina del Comisionado de Seguros de Puerto Rico (OCS) · Introducción a los Seguros para Residencias (Universidad del Seguro, Vol. 4) (external site) · in Spanish · Verified on October 17, 2026
3. Gobierno de Puerto Rico, Oficina de Gerencia y Presupuesto (Biblioteca Virtual) · Código de Seguros de Puerto Rico (Ley Núm. 77 de 19 de junio de 1957, según enmendada) (external site) · in Spanish · Verified on October 17, 2026
4. Florida Legislature · Florida Statutes § 627.701: liability of insureds; coinsurance; deductibles (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026