*A new state rule changed how hurricane deductibles work on Long Island, and most homeowners have no idea what their policy actually says.*
If you own a home on Long Island, you probably know your insurance has a deductible. What a lot of people do not know is that many policies here carry a second, much larger deductible that only applies during a hurricane. It can turn a routine claim into a five figure bill.
New York finalized a new rule on hurricane deductibles that took effect February 2, 2026. Before this, insurers could use their own definitions of a hurricane, and the state had approved more than 100 different versions. Now there is one standard: a hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 74 mph or higher as determined by the National Weather Service.
The new rule also narrows when that bigger deductible can even apply. Under the update, a hurricane deductible can only be triggered after a hurricane makes landfall in New York State. Before, the trigger language in some policies was vague enough that insurers had more room to apply the higher deductible even for storms that never technically made landfall here.
There is another change worth knowing. Historically, insurers could only request hurricane deductibles for properties in the four boroughs plus Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. As of this year, insurers can request to apply hurricane deductibles anywhere in New York State, which is a real expansion of where this coverage gap can show up.
A hurricane deductible is not a flat fee like your standard $500 or $1,000 deductible. It is usually 1 to 5 percent of your dwelling coverage or your home's insured value. That sounds small until you do the math on an actual house.
New York's Department of Financial Services requires insurers to show the hurricane deductible as a real dollar amount right on your declarations page, not just as a percentage buried in the policy. On a home insured for $500,000, a 5 percent deductible works out to $25,000 you would pay before your insurer covers anything, a very different number than the $1,000 most people picture when they hear the word deductible.
It also helps to know the difference between a windstorm deductible and a hurricane deductible. A windstorm deductible can be triggered by wind of any speed, not just hurricane force wind, while a hurricane deductible only kicks in once a hurricane has actually made landfall in the state. Some policies carry both, and knowing which one applies to a given storm changes what you owe out of pocket.
This new clarity is landing at a time when Long Island premiums are already moving. Industry estimates point to roughly 8 percent more in average rate increases in 2026, on top of 12 to 22 percent increases some carriers have already filed in recent cycles. Distance to the coast tends to matter more than which county you are in, with inland Suffolk towns often seeing some of the lower premiums on the Island while South Shore and North Shore waterfront homes can run five to ten thousand dollars a year or more.
Remember too that none of this touches flood coverage. Storm surge and flooding are never covered by a standard homeowners policy and require a separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood insurer.
The best move right now is simple. Pull out your declarations page, find the hurricane and windstorm deductible language, and see the actual dollar figure next to the percentage. If you cannot find it or cannot make sense of it, ask your agent to walk you through it before storm season gives you a reason to need the answer.
If you are weighing how any of this fits into your plans to buy, sell, or just understand what your house is worth today, you can always ask a question at /askmuds or check your home value at /my-home-value/.