What does a Savannah or coastal Georgia homeowner need to know about insurance?

If you own a home in Savannah or anywhere along coastal Georgia, the most important things to understand are wind coverage, flood coverage, and how your deductibles work, because coastal risk is very different from inland Georgia. Hurricanes, tropical storms, and storm surge make these the make-or-break parts of your policy.

First, wind and hail. Coastal homeowners policies often apply a separate hurricane or wind deductible that is a percentage of your home’s value rather than a flat dollar amount. On a $500,000 home, a 5 percent wind deductible means you pay $Rebuild costs near the water are higher than inland, which affects how much dwelling coverage a coastal home needs. A free coverage review looks at how wind, flood, and rebuild coverage line up for a coastal property.5,000 before coverage begins. Our wind and hail deductible guide explains how these work.

Second, flood. Standard home policies never cover flood, and storm surge is flood. Given Savannah’s coastal location, a separate flood insurance policy covers storm surge that a home policy excludes. Many homes near the water sit in high-risk flood zones where lenders require it.

For example, a Tybee Island homeowner faced a tropical storm that pushed surge into their first floor, causing $80,000 in damage. Their home policy excluded the flooding, but their separate flood policy covered the loss. Without it, that cost would have fallen entirely on them.

Rebuild costs near the water are higher than inland, which affects how much dwelling coverage a coastal home needs. A free coverage review looks at how wind, flood, and rebuild coverage line up for a coastal property.