Does homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage in South Carolina?

Hurricane insurance in South Carolina is not a specific policy type, but rather the combination of standard South Carolina homeowners insurance, flood insurance, and a wind and hail policy all used together to provide coverage from hurricane damage. Home damage from hurricanes can come in many different forms — rising water, wind, hail, and even theft or vandalism if you evacuate during a storm. A coverage package insures you against many types of damage, so you don’t have coverage gaps if a storm rolls in. 

The 3 types of coverage that protect against a hurricane

Standard homeowners insurance

The first component of a South Carolina hurricane insurance coverage package is a standard home insurance policy. This forms the foundation of your coverage. You usually can’t get flood or wind and hail coverage without first securing a baseline policy. 

While standard home insurance typically provides coverage for wind damage, falling trees or branches, and theft and vandalism, some insurers may exclude wind coverage for coastal and high-risk properties. In this case, you may need to add a wind and hail plan on top of your home insurance. 

If you live in a storm-prone area, your home insurance policy may carry a separate hurricane deductible in South Carolina for storm damage. This is the amount you have to pay out of pocket if you file a claim for hurricane damage. Unlike your standard deductible, which is usually a set amount, hurricane deductibles are often a percentage of your dwelling coverage limit — that's the maximum amount your insurer will pay to repair or rebuild your home's structure. You can find both your dwelling coverage limit and your hurricane deductible percentage on your declarations page, the summary document your insurer sends when you purchase or renew your policy.

South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association (SC Wind Pool)

Several insurers exclude wind coverage for South Carolina homes in hurricane-prone areas. For homeowners who can't secure coverage through the private marketplace, the state created the South Carolina Wind Pool — a state-run insurer of last resort for wind and hail coverage.

A Wind Pool policy covers three things: the structure of your home (dwelling coverage), your personal belongings (contents coverage), and any additional living expenses you incur if your home becomes uninhabitable due to storm damage (loss of use coverage). Each coverage type carries its own percentage-based deductible.

The Wind Pool program operates in designated coastal regions, including parts of the following counties:

• Horry County

• Georgetown County

• Colleton County 

• Charleston County

• Beaufort County 

To check whether your home falls within an eligible zone for Wind Pool coverage, you can use the eligibility checker from the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association. 

Flood insurance

Standard homeowners insurance and Wind Pool policies do not cover flood damage from rain or storm surges. Flooding is often the most destructive element of a hurricane — just an inch of flood water can cause $25,000 of damage to your home, according to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Flood insurance can be purchased through the NFIP or private insurers. The NFIP is a federally backed program available to homeowners in participating communities across the country. Coverage is capped at $250,000 for your home's structure and $100,000 for personal belongings. Private insurers may offer flood coverage as an endorsement on your existing home policy or as a standalone policy. They often provide higher coverage limits and more flexibility.

Understanding the hurricane deductible

Percentage-based deductibles can feel unclear compared to standard fixed-dollar deductibles. But once you understand how they work, you should be able to quickly understand your financial obligations for hurricane damage. 

Example: Percentage-based hurricane deductibles usually range from 1% to 5% of your dwelling coverage limit. For example, if you have a 2% hurricane deductible and a dwelling coverage limit of $350,000, your financial responsibility for a hurricane claim would be $7,000: 

$300,000 x 0.02 = $7,000

The South Carolina Code of Regulations §69-56 mandates that insurers disclose any hurricane, named storm, or wind and hail deductibles clearly to policyholders. If you have a hurricane deductible in South Carolina, you can find the details on your declarations page. 

This document should also describe what types of damage trigger the storm deductible. Some insurers apply the deductible to any wind or hail damage, while others may only apply it in the event of an official hurricane or other named storm. It’s a good idea to inquire about any storm deductibles and their scope when shopping for home insurance in South Carolina.

What hurricane insurance does not cover

You might be wondering why you need so many types of insurance to cover hurricane damage in South Carolina. Hurricanes can be costly to insurers, so they often exclude coverage for this peril, or cause of damage, from standard policies and package it into additional policies or coverage add-ons to manage the financial risk associated with these storms. 

Here are some common home insurance exclusions and how homeowners may be able to secure coverage for them. 

South Carolina’s Catastrophe Savings Account

Even with hurricane insurance, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses can add up fast after a major storm. To help, South Carolina allows residents to open a tax-free Catastrophe Savings Account.

Funds can be used to cover deductibles and uninsured or underinsured losses from a governor-declared disaster. Contribution limits are tied to your policy deductibles or, if your home is uninsured, its estimated rebuild cost.

For details on eligibility and fund withdrawals, see the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. 

How to prevent hurricane damage in South Carolina

One of the best ways to limit damage and bring down your hurricane insurance rates in South Carolina is to take steps to protect your home against hurricanes before a storm is in the forecast.

• Maintain your roof: A well-maintained roof can withstand storms better and help prevent water intrusion. If you’re replacing your roof, choosing a hurricane-resistant design and materials can protect your home and potentially lower your insurance costs. 

• Anchor outdoor furniture and objects: Windborne trash cans, pots, and outdoor furniture can damage your home in a storm. Anchor or store these items if severe weather is expected.

• Consider storm shutters: These shutters protect your windows and glass doors from breaking during a hurricane. Even if you don’t install permanent shutters, boarding up windows before a storm can prevent broken windows and water intrusion.  

• Trim trees regularly: Falling trees and branches can do a lot of damage. Trimming branches and removing trees that are too close to your home can prevent them from falling on your home in high winds. 

How to make sure you have the right coverage ahead of a hurricane in South Carolina

The best time to review and update your hurricane insurance coverage in South Carolina is well before hurricane season starts in June. Insurers often impose moratoriums — temporary freezes on new coverage — when a storm is forecast. So if you wait until a hurricane is on the horizon, it may be too late. 

It's also worth taking a few other steps before the season begins: 

• Review your existing coverage and make adjustments as needed: Check your declarations page for your coverage types, policy limits, deductibles, and any hurricane-specific triggers. If anything is unclear, your insurance agent can walk you through it. 

• Consider wind and flood policies: If you don't already have windstorm or flood insurance, weigh the cost of a policy against what you could owe out of pocket if a storm hits. 

• Make a home inventory: It’s a lot easier to file a home insurance claim if you have documentation of your home and possessions. Take pictures and videos of your home and its contents. Keep record of receipts and value estimates where possible. Store this information digitally or in a secondary location so it’s easily accessible in the event of damage to your home.

• Review your home insurance budget: Review your premium — what you pay for coverage — and take steps to reduce your cost of home insurance. Have extra cash on hand from lowering insurance costs? Putting it into a South Carolina Catastrophe Savings Account can make it easier to pay your deductibles if a storm hits. 

Frequently asked questions

Can you get hurricane insurance in South Carolina?

Yes, you can get hurricane insurance in South Carolina, but hurricane insurance is a combination of policies — not just one. “Hurricance insurance” generally refers to the combination of a standard homeowners policy, a flood insurance policy, and a separate wind and hail insurance policy (if wind and hail are excluded from your standard home coverage). Windstorm and flood insurance can be purchased through the South Carolina Wind Pool program and the NFIP, respectively, as well as certain private insurers. How much hurricane insurance costs in South Carolina depends on what policy types you have and your home’s risk exposure for hurricane damage, among other factors. 

How expensive is flood insurance in South Carolina?

According to the latest data available, the median cost of NFIP flood insurance in South Carolina is $714 per year. However, the NFIP fully adopted its Risk Rating 2.0 rating system for flood insurance pricing in 2023 to close the gap between premiums collected and claims paid out for covered flood losses. The new system reassesses flood risk and adjusts rates accordingly — with maximum rate increases of 18% per year — until premiums reflect the newly assessed flood risk. Under Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA data show the new adjusted average flood insurance premium for NFIP policies in South Carolina is $1,040 per year. 

What is the SC Wind and Hail Underwriting Association?

The South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association is the state’s insurer of last resort. It provides wind coverage for homes in coastal areas where homeowners are unable to secure coverage through the private market.