Is Your Florida Home Insurance Ready for Hurricane Season?

Every year around this time, I have the same conversation with clients: "I didn't realize my policy changed" or "I didn't know I needed to do anything before hurricane season." So let's fix that right now, because 2026 brought real changes that affect how your home insurance actually works.

Chak ane nan epòk sa a, mwen gen menm konvèsasyon an ak kliyan mwen yo: "Mwen pa t reyalize kontra m chanje" oswa "Mwen pa t konnen mwen te bezwen fè yon bagay anvan sezon siklòn." Ann rezoud sa a kounye a, paske 2026 pote vrè chanjman ki afekte fason asirans kay ou reyèlman fonksyone.

The New Wind Mitigation Inspection Form

Nouvo Fòm Enspeksyon Atenyasyon Van an

Florida updated its wind mitigation inspection form this year (OIR-B1-1802), and insurers are now applying new discount tables based on it. If your last inspection was done before the update, you might be missing credits you've already earned through upgrades like a newer roof, hurricane straps, or impact windows. This isn't automatic — you have to request a new inspection to unlock it.

Florid mete ajou fòm enspeksyon atenyasyon van li ane sa a (OIR-B1-1802), epi konpayi asirans yo kounye a aplike nouvo tablo rabè ki baze sou li. Si dènye enspeksyon ou te fèt anvan ajou a, ou ka manke kredi ou te deja genyen atravè amelyorasyon tankou yon do kay pi nèf, kouri siklòn, oswa fenèt enpak. Sa a pa otomatik — ou dwe mande yon nouvo enspeksyon pou debloke li.

Your Claim Filing Window Just Got Shorter

Fenèt Depo Reklamasyon Ou Jis Vin Pi Kout

This is the one that catches people off guard. Homeowners used to have two years to file a hurricane damage claim. That's now down to one year. On the flip side, insurers are also required to decide on your claim faster — 60 days instead of 90. It's a trade-off: less time for you to file, but also less time for them to sit on your claim.

Sa a se sa ki pran moun pa sipriz. Pwopriyetè kay yo te konn genyen de zan pou depoze yon reklamasyon domaj siklòn. Kounye a se yon sèl ane. Nan lòt bò a, konpayi asirans yo tou oblije deside sou reklamasyon ou pi vit — 60 jou olye de 90. Se yon echanj: mwens tan pou ou depoze, men tou mwens tan pou yo chita sou reklamasyon ou.

Understanding Your Hurricane Deductible

Konprann Dediktib Siklòn Ou

A lot of homeowners don't realize their hurricane deductible is separate from their regular deductible. It typically runs 2% to 5% of your home's insured value, and it only kicks in once a storm is officially named by the National Hurricane Center. On a $400,000 home, a 2% hurricane deductible means $8,000 out of pocket before your coverage even starts. If you don't know your number, that's the first thing to find out.

Anpil pwopriyetè kay pa reyalize dediktib siklòn yo separe de dediktib regilye yo. Li tipikman kouri 2% a 5% valè asire kay ou, epi li sèlman aktive yon fwa yon tanpèt resevwa non ofisyèl li nan National Hurricane Center. Sou yon kay $400,000, yon dediktib siklòn 2% vle di $8,000 nan pòch ou anvan kouvèti ou menm kòmanse. Si ou pa konnen nimewo ou, sa se premye bagay pou jwenn.

What I'd Recommend Doing This Week

Sa Mwen Ta Rekòmande Fè Semèn Sa a

1. Pull your current policy and check your dwelling coverage limit against what it would actually cost to rebuild your home today.
2. Rale kontra aktyèl ou epi tcheke limit kouvèti kay ou kont sa li ta reyèlman koute pou rebati kay ou jodi a.
3. Check when your last wind mitigation inspection was done. If it predates the 2026 form update, ask your carrier if a new inspection could lower your premium.
4. Tcheke lè dènye enspeksyon atenyasyon van ou te fèt. Si li anvan ajou fòm 2026 la, mande konpayi asirans ou si yon nouvo enspeksyon ka bese prim ou.
5. Find your hurricane deductible number and know what that means in real dollars for your specific home.
6. Jwenn nimewo dediktib siklòn ou epi konnen sa sa vle di an dola reyèl pou kay espesifik ou.
7. Photograph your home now — inside and out — while there's no storm on the map.
8. Pran foto kay ou kounye a — anndan ak deyò — pandan pa gen tanpèt sou kat la.

None of this takes long, but doing it now — before a storm has a name — puts you in a much stronger position than trying to figure it out during an active watch, when some insurers pause new policies and changes altogether.

Okenn nan sa a pa pran lontan, men fè li kounye a — anvan yon tanpèt gen yon non — mete ou nan yon pozisyon pi solid pase eseye konprann li pandan yon veye aktif, lè kèk konpayi asirans sispann nouvo kontra ak chanjman nèt.