Does Florida homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage?

Yes, standard Florida homeowners policies cover hurricane wind damage to your roof. The catch is a separate hurricane deductible much higher than your regular one. Florida law lets carriers (including Citizens Property Insurance) set this at 2%, 5%, or 10% of dwelling coverage, applied per calendar year. On a home insured for $400,000 at 2%, you pay the first $8,000 out of pocket. The deductible triggers when the National Hurricane Center names the storm and ends 72 hours after the storm loses tropical-cyclone status. Flood damage is excluded and requires a separate NFIP or private flood policy. You have one year from the date of loss to file a hurricane claim under current Florida statute.