A Quick Guide to Commercial Storm Insurance

5/12/2021 (Permalink)

As a business owner in Germantown, Tennessee, or Collierville, Tennessee, insuring your property is a no-brainer. However, not all people know precisely how storm insurance works or what it covers. SERVPRO of Germantown / Collierville is here to help. Here are some tips to help you understand insurance coverage.

Categories of Coverage

Not all storms, or deductibles, are created equal. The best way to understand your specific coverage is to read your commercial insurance policy or speak with the agent. Generally, insurance policies reference these three categories:

• Windstorm – This includes any damage to the property resulting from wind or hail that does not fall into one of the other categories.
• Hurricane – The definition of a hurricane differs by state and storm insurance company. Some define it by wind speed; others consider the amount of time between the National Weather Service (NWS) announcement and the damage time.
• Named Storm – When a tropical storm is severe and widespread, the NWS calls it. For some insurance coverage, this may fall into the hurricane category.

Differences in Deductibles 

When you first buy property insurance, you consider your deductible. This is the amount of money you, the business owner, must pay out of pocket before receiving insurance funds. When the damage results from a natural disaster, people are often surprised that the same deductible does not apply. Instead of a standard amount, coverage is a percentage of the total cost for storm restoration professionals to mitigate and repair the damage. A typical rate is between one and five percent.

Whether severe winds in Germantown, Tennessee or Collierville, Tennessee, knocks a tree into your commercial building or a hurricane causes significant destruction, understanding storm insurance is critical to getting your business up and running again. When the unexpected happens, take comfort in the notion that your insurance agent and SERVPRO of Germantown / Collierville is here for you!