Tornado victims face higher insurance deductibles after Tropical Storm Arthur

ARABI, La. (WVUE) - Homeowners across the area will have to pay higher deductibles to repair damage from last week’s tornadoes and strong winds.

Landon Jones and his father are fixing what a tornado left behind in Arabi in St. Bernard Parish.

“Was in the process of filing the claim and once I heard the $11,000 I kind of hung the phone up,” Jones said.

He was told that’s how much his deductible would be.

“Eleven thousand dollars worth of damage I don’t think so hence the reason me and my dad, 69 years old are up there on the roof right now making the repair. Probably about a thousand, $1,500 can get it done,” Jones said.

Why named storm deductibles apply

The National Weather Service confirmed the Arabi tornado will be lumped in with other damage caused by Tropical Storm Arthur even though Arthur made landfall in Texas before the heavy rain and strong winds began in Louisiana.

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said the storm’s landfall location does not matter.

“That storm irrespective where it came on shore. I mean, it’s not a Texas storm. It’s not a Louisiana storm. It’s a U S storm, right?” Temple said.

Because Arthur was a named storm, different deductibles apply.

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“It was a named storm. And, you know, each insurance company, you know, has different policy. You know, they treat it differently depending on what their policy language says, but for the most part. And again, this is why it’s very important to read your policy and understand how your particular policy responds. But for the most part, it’s going to be a named storm deductible. So it’s going to be subject to a 2% or 3% or perhaps 5% deductible on that,” Temple said.

The named storm deductible applies even if the damage happened after Arthur made landfall.

“It’s kind of shame, been living here since 2020, haven’t made a claim yet,” Jones said.

One deductible per year

Temple said there is a bright spot.

“One potentially silver lining in this is that, you know, an insurance company can only apply the name storm deductible once every 12 months, once during the policy period,” Temple said.

“Let’s just say for example your deductible was $5,000, your named storm deductible. If you received $5,000 or more in damage any future storm this year that’s a named storm you would not be subject to that named storm deductible,” Temple said.

The National Flood Insurance Program does not use a named storm deductible for its policies.

“The NFIP does not have a [named storm] deductible,” Temple said.

The heavy rains and winds left behind different kinds of damage. Temple put information answering frequently asked questions.

“If your home was damaged from flood, then that would be a flood policy because that’s not covered under homeowners’. If you experience damage as a result of perhaps a tree or a tree limb falling on your home or winds, tornadic winds damaging your home, that would be under your homeowners. If your auto was damaged and rising waters to flood, then that would be under your automobile policy,” Temple said.

Hurricane season does not end until November.

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