When a hurricane or strong nor’easter hits Rhode Island’s coast, many homes take damage from both wind and water. Two policies, two adjusters and two sets of rules can follow. Understanding the split early prevents gaps.
The basic division
- Homeowner policy: wind damage, and rain that enters through an opening created by wind. Flood and storm surge are excluded.
- Flood policy (NFIP or private): damage from rising water, including surge, subject to its own limits, deductible and rules, which can be narrow for basements.
Where disputes start
A first-floor wall can be soaked by surge, by rain through a damaged roof or by both. Each insurer may attribute more of the damage to the other peril. Water lines, debris lines, photos of the roof damage and the order of events all help show what caused what.
Organize before the adjusters arrive
List each damaged area, the likely cause and your evidence. Our wind vs. flood damage splitter lets you tag items and see how deductibles apply to each portion.
Where appraisal fits
Appraisal under the homeowner policy can resolve the amount of the wind-related loss once coverage is accepted. Causation disputes between the two policies often sit outside appraisal, and a Rhode Island attorney may be the right call for those.