Rhode Island 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.
Hurricane Sandy brought a swath of devastation across the Tri-State area and parts of New England in 2012. As Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina have proven, these storms can have violent and wide-ranging destructive effects on a local economy. While Rhode Island was not in Hurricane Sandy's direct path, it still got its share of severe weather as this storm made landfall.
That close call was enough to put Rhode Islanders on alert about the possibility of a hurricane hitting closer to home. If such a hurricane does strike, do you have the insurance coverage necessary to protect your finances?
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Hurricane Sandy Statistics
- This storm caused $75 billion in damage, and was the second-most damaging storm in U.S. history behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005
- 48 people were killed by Sandy in New York City alone, and at least 285 were killed overall
- Tropical-storm winds of at least 45 mph affected areas more than 800 miles from center of the storm at one point. The damage potential from this storm rated a 5.8 on a 1 to 6 scale, the highest measurement ever recorded for a storm in the U.S.
Rhode Island Hurricane Insurance Protects Your Investments
Even if the next big event to hit this state is a tropical storm instead of a hurricane, Rhode Island hurricane insurance can still prove to be very valuable. Both tropical storms and hurricanes can devastate an area through wind damage and flooding. A hurricane insurance policy can protect you financially from loss or damage to your property if it is damaged by heavy winds.
These storms can also drop many inches of rain over a couple days’ time, resulting in flash flooding. Since hurricane policies only cover wind and water damage from above, floods due to these storms are not covered by a hurricane policy.
How Do I Protect Myself Against Flood Damage?
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many homeowners took to Facebook to complain about how their homeowners insurance company would not cover the complete destruction of their homes. In nearly all cases, these home were destroyed by flood waters brought on by the hurricane's storm surges. What these homeowners discovered too late was that home insurance policies, even if supplemented with hurricane coverage, do not cover damages caused by floods.
For this reason, all homeowners, particularly those along the Eastern seaboard, are strongly recommended to invest in a flood insurance policy. These policies are backed by the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP. Rates for these policies are standard across the country and are based on your flood risk according to local flood zone maps and the amount of coverage you have purchased.
Residents cannot be turned down for a flood insurance policy, nor will their rates increase merely because they have filed a claim. A Rhode Island flood insurance policy is likely easier for most families to pay for than the assistance offered by FEMA, which comes only in the form of low-interest loans that must be repaid.
How Much Does Hurricane Insurance Cost?
States along the U.S. eastern seaboard are often in the path of these large storms, which makes hurricane insurance somewhat costly. Whether or not your home has improvements specifically designed to reduce damage from severe storms, can greatly influence your costs.
Though insurance companies frequently include coverage against heavy winds as part of their standard home insurance package, residents of this state may need to purchase an additional rider to their policy to protect against hurricane damage. To discover how much this additional coverage will cost you, it is best to shop around and compare rates.
To protect your vehicle from damage caused by flying debris, falling objects or flood damage, you need only include comprehensive coverage with your Rhode Island car insurance policy. If you have financed the purchase of your vehicle, you probably have this coverage already.
Hurricanes that Have Caused Damage in Rhode Island
Since 2005, this state has experienced nearly 20 tropical storms, cyclones and hurricanes, including:
- Hurricane Ida, 2009
- Hurricane Earl, 2010
- Hurricane Irene, 2011
- Hurricane Sandy, 2012
Wind and flood damage is a serious and ever-present threat in Rhode Island. It is therefore important that residents ensure they have sufficient coverage against them.
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How to Get Rhode Island Hurricane Insurance Quotes
An independent agent in the Trusted Choice® network can be an excellent resource for information on a wide range of insurance types, including storm coverage. One of these agents can assess your needs and provide information and comparative Rhode Island hurricane insurance quotes based on your zip code and other specific factors. Contact a local member agent in the Trusted Choice network for personalized assistance today.