Hurricane season on the Gulf Coast isn't a surprise — but scrambling to understand your insurance coverage in the 48 hours before a storm makes landfall shouldn't be part of the plan. Here's an insurance-focused checklist worth going through well before a storm is on the radar.
1. Know your deductibles before you need them
Many Louisiana homeowners policies include a separate hurricane or named-storm deductible, often calculated as a percentage of your dwelling coverage rather than a flat dollar amount. That can mean a meaningfully different out-of-pocket cost than your everyday deductible. Find out what yours is now, not after a claim.
2. Confirm what's actually covered
Wind and hail, flood, and named-storm damage aren't always treated the same way by a single policy. Before hurricane season ramps up, it's worth a quick review of:
- Whether wind/hail is included in your base policy or handled separately
- Whether you have flood coverage at all (see our flood insurance basics post if you're not sure)
- Your coverage limits for other structures like fences, sheds, and detached garages
3. Document your home before storm season
A simple video walkthrough of your home — closets, garage, attic included — timestamped and stored somewhere other than your house (cloud storage or emailed to yourself) makes a real difference if you ever need to file a claim. Do this once a year, ideally right before hurricane season starts.
4. Keep policy info somewhere you can actually reach it
If evacuation is ever on the table, your insurance policy numbers and our contact information should be somewhere accessible without power or home internet — a note in your phone, a printed copy in a go-bag, or both.
5. Understand the claims timeline
After a major storm, claims volume spikes across the whole region, which can slow response times industry-wide. Filing promptly and having your documentation ready (see #3) helps keep things moving on your end.
6. Review coverage annually, not just after a loss
Home values, renovation projects, and rebuilding costs change. A policy that made sense three years ago may be underinsured for today's rebuilding costs. An annual check-in before storm season is a simple habit that pays off.