Insurance companies usually require property inspections when processing applications for homeowners insurance after a hurricane watch or warning. Flood Insurance, issued through the National Flood Insurance Program, has an automatic thirty-day waiting period, with the exception of certain closings on mortgage related property sales. A Emergency claims representatives will be on the scene in a matter of hours in most cases, providing initial damage payments and relocation assistance when necessary. Many claims will be paid on the spot. A Most policies, except flood policies, will pay for temporary housing and other reasonable expenses necessary to maintain your normal standard of living when a hurricane makes your home uninhabitable and the damage is caused by a peril covered by your insurance policy.
Most policies also cover expenses for removal of debris.
A Homeowners policies routinely cover contents up to specific limits, usually 50 percent of the coverage on the home. Depending on the policy, coverage may be for a new replacement item, or payments may be based on the item's depreciated value. Flood Insurance policies do not automatically provide contents coverage. Consumers must specifically request it. Flood policies do not offer replacement coverage for contents.