Maryland Hurricane Insurance
Find the right hurricane insurance policy for you.
Written by
Ann Herro has been writing about insurance and employee benefits for over 15 years. She has covered topics as easy as insuring a car, and as difficult as transparency in healthcare costs.
As a state along the eastern seaboard, Maryland is susceptible to damages caused by hurricanes and tropical storms. Recently, Hurricane Sandy led to devastation in this state, killing 11 people as it ran its course. Because the National Weather Service did not issue warnings to many counties, the Maryland Insurance Administration declared that no hurricane deductibles would apply when claims were filed. This resulted in even greater savings for those who were fortunate enough to have carried hurricane insurance at the time the storm hit. Do you have the coverage you need if your property in Maryland is affected? If not, now is a great time to start comparing hurricane insurance quotes.
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Maryland Hurricane Statistics
- An average of six hurricanes form over the Atlantic Ocean each year
- Hurricane season lasts from June 1 to October 30, and peaks on September 10, each year
- To date, no hurricanes have made landfall on the Maryland coast
- Despite this, the state was seriously affected by 56 hurricanes since 1980
- The deadliest hurricane to hit the state was Sandy, during which 11 residents were killed
- The most expensive hurricane to hit the state was Irene, which caused $151 million in damages
What Is Hurricane Insurance?
Hurricane insurance is not a policy on its own. Rather, it is something that may or may not be automatically included in the insurance policies you already have, such as homeowners insurance or business insurance. If your home insurance policy is of the named-peril type, for example, and you do not specifically name hurricanes, you may not be able to get compensation if your home is damaged or destroyed by a hurricane.
Your vehicle may also be damaged by hurricane-force winds and flying debris. If this is the case, as long as you have comprehensive coverage, you should be covered. There is no need to purchase a specific hurricane endorsement for your car or truck. It is important that Maryland residents and business owners ensure that they are currently covered against hurricanes and, if not, that they purchase the appropriate endorsements to add this coverage to their existing policies. It is possible that you can get this coverage less expensively by shopping around, so it is not a bad idea to compare a few quotes for policies that include hurricane insurance.
Why Do Maryland Residents Need Hurricane Insurance?
Hurricanes and tropical storms that make landfall on or near the Maryland coast have the potential to cause a great deal of damage. Not only can the high winds associated with these storms lead to extensive damage to property, but hurricanes and tropical storms also tend to spawn tornadoes and cause floods. As the water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean continue to rise, so too does the likelihood that more powerful hurricanes will form in the future. Therefore, it is important that Maryland’s residents are covered by suitable insurance policies.
A major hurricane can produce wind speeds in excess of 250 miles per hour. This is enough to blow roofs right off of buildings or even flatten some structures. High winds and flying debris can break windows and cause damage to personal property as well. Hurricane insurance can provide compensation for loss or damage to home and buildings, as well as their contents, if they are damaged by the heavy winds of a hurricane or tropical storm.
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Maryland Flood Damage Is Not Covered by Hurricane Insurance
Hurricanes and tropical storms bring with them a lot of heavy precipitation that falls over an extended period of time. This often leads to widespread flooding in affected areas. Even residents who live outside of designated flood zones may experience flood damage as the ground becomes saturated and, as a result, sewer and drainage systems become overwhelmed. Homeowners and business insurance policies, even if they include hurricane coverage, rarely include coverage against flood damage. In nearly all cases, this coverage can only be achieved through the purchase of a separate flood insurance policy.
Flood insurance is federally-backed and is administered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP provides coverage plans for both individuals and business owners. If you own property in a designated flood zone, you may already have this coverage since it is required by mortgage companies. For those outside the zone, flood insurance is optional. All of Maryland is susceptible to flood damage when hurricanes and tropical storms strike, so all residents of this state are strongly advised to consider supplementing their coverage with flood insurance.
Are Hurricane Insurance Quotes High in Maryland?
Chances are good that you already have coverage against hurricanes in the policies you currently carry. If not, the cost to add this coverage to an existing policy should prove to be highly affordable. The only way to find out how much it will cost you, however, is to call your insurance company to request a quote. Hurricane insurance quotes are based primarily on your risks, which will be greater for those who live closer to the coast than for those who live further inland, and by the amount of coverage you are purchasing.
Naturally, if you carry a lot in structure and contents coverage, it will cost you more to add hurricane insurance than if you do not have a lot to insure. If you feel that the cost to add hurricane insurance is too high, it may be time to check out quotes from a few competing insurance companies to see if you can get a better rate.
Maryland Residents Can Compare Hurricane Insurance Quotes
You may already have enough coverage against hurricane damage. If not, you may want to strongly consider increasing your coverage with supplemental riders, or endorsements. An independent agent in our network can review your current policies to help you determine whether or not additional coverage is necessary. These agents may even be able to find you better policies that provide more coverage than you currently have and at a rate that is lower than what you currently pay. You can trust your local agent to give you expert advice, personalized service, and a variety of competitively-priced rate quotes from a variety of top-rated companies.
Contact an agent near you to learn more and you can start reviewing hurricane insurance quotes to protect your Maryland property today.