As headlines dominate with talk of the Super El Niño, Cotality’s 2026 Hurricane Risk Report found that 32.2 million properties face moderate or greater hurricane wind risk this year, representing over $12 trillion in potential reconstruction costs. 

According to the report, the New York metropolitan area is the largest hurricane exposure zone in the nation, with more than 3.2 million homes at risk and estimated reconstruction costs exceeding $1.93 trillion.

Houston is right behind New York with 2.17 million homes at risk and an estimated $824 billion in reconstruction cost value. Miami ranks third with about 2.04 million properties at risk and $616 billion in projected rebuilding costs. 

If you live in New York, Houston, or Miami, hurricane risk may make it difficult to find affordable home insurance—or even secure coverage in the first place.

By understanding the exposure in your area, you can better prepare for and manage potential insurance challenges. 

Regional differences in hurricane risk exposure 

Hurricane exposure is not created equal. It varies widely across the U.S. 

Here’s how risk differs in the cities projected to be hit the hardest this year.

New York City metro

Ten hurricanes have made landfall in New York since 1858, according to data from the Historical Hurricane Tracks tool by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Of those 10, two have been classified as major Category 3 hurricanes, including the Great New England hurricane of 1938, which came ashore in central Long Island with sustained winds of 120 mph.  

“A storm of this magnitude would cause over $40 billion in damage across the Northeast if it were to hit today,” says Jason Brewer, chief meteorologist at Marsh McLennan Agency in Boston.

These days, hurricanes in New York present a different but significant set of problems.

“Water inundation in New York City and the surrounding metro area is extremely problematic, because of the population density, narrow waterways and channels, and the need to place critical infrastructure underground,” explains Nicholas Insua, partner in the insurance recovery group at Reed Smith in New York City. 

Insua explains that storm events have been so severe that even areas in upstate New York have seen increasing losses as lakes and rivers have hit historically high-water levels.  

“Combined with extraordinarily high rebuilding costs, there has been a substantial increase in premiums year over year,” adds Insua.

Houston

Houston has faced ongoing challenges as a coastal location susceptible to hurricane damage for years, dating back to when Hurricane Katrina data was added to catastrophe models in 2005.  

The city’s risk profile has also been shaped by the Memorial Day (2015), Tax Day (2016), and Hurricane Harvey (2017) floods, which caused significant damage throughout the Houston area in three successive years.

Triggered by a slow moving storm, the Memorial Day flood led to 11 inches of rain across Houston, resulting in $459.8 million in damage.

About a year later, the Tax Day Flood dropped nearly 2 feet of rain across the area in a matter of hours. KHOU-11 found damage exceeded $56 million.

Hurricane Harvey was the first hurricane to hit the Texas coast since 2008. Five day rainfall amounts produced record breaking rainfall of 50 inches in some areas. Damage estimates were over $125 billion.

“Over the past five years, weather patterns have become more difficult from a loss perspective and the home insurance market has been impacted by limited carrier capacity, more stringent underwriting, and mandatory risk mitigation requirements for things like newer roofs and water shutoff systems,” says Carol Sherron, senior vice president, zone client advisory leader at Marsh McLennan Agency in Dallas. 

Sherron notes that in 2026, premiums continue to increase, but not as severely as years prior, primarily due to favorable impact of underwriting and risk mitigation requirements and a quieter storm season in 2025.  

“We are at the beginning of this trend and optimistic that this will continue, particularly for properties where risk mitigation is evident,” Sherron explains. 

Carriers that serve the Houston market continue to require windstorm and hurricane deductibles of at least 1% to 2% of a property’s dwelling value. 

“Since storm-related roof repairs often fall at or near the deductible threshold, many homeowners end up covering most of the costs themselves,” adds Sherron.

Miami

When it comes to hurricane risk, Miami really does have it all. 

“Latitude, elevation, ocean proximity, warm ocean temps, and population density make Miami a prime target for hurricane activity and severe hurricane damage,” says Jennifer Gambill, broker for World Insurance Associates in Miami. 

Thanks to strict building codes, most homes are well prepared for the extreme weather in the city each year. However, those strict building codes increase the cost of building and repairing homes in the area, which has an immediate impact on policy premiums. 

Higher premiums aside, Miami has been plagued by the churn of insurers entering and leaving the marketplace since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 when nearly all national insurers left the state and many smaller regional insurers closed their doors. 

Since then, the ability of insurers to take on new policyholders in Miami has remained extremely limited. And the private marketplace is now dominated by smaller regional insurers that enter and leave the market frequently. 

Florida recognized the impact on residents who couldn’t find insurance in the private market by forming Citizens Property Insurance Corp., a state-run insurance company. 

“This was intended to be a market of last resort, but Citizens has become one of the largest insurers in Miami. So much so that there are ongoing efforts to depopulate it. One of the ways to reduce Citizens’ policy count is by limiting the coverage that it provides to a maximum of $700,000,” Gambill explains.

While that might seem like a reasonably high limit, the cost of construction in Miami is higher than most other areas of the country, which forced Citizens to raise that limit to $999,999 in Miami.

How to identify coverage gaps before peak storm season

As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to ensure your home is adequately insured.

“Although construction pricing has increased over the last several years, insured values have not increased in kind,” says Christopher Kuleba, partner in the insurance recovery group at Reed Smith in Miami.

Gambill strongly suggests reviewing your coverage with a trusted insurance professional each year at renewal time. 

“There are so many variables to consider, and in places like Miami, insurers enter and leave the market each year. An insurance pro can help you find a new insurer, better coverage, or lower rates. They can also assist with ensuring your coverage limits are adequate,” explains Gambill.

Jordan Blake, director of communications and operations at Shoreline Public Adjusters LLC in Naples, FL, recommends calculating your hurricane deductible in actual dollars first. 

“The percentage of dwelling limit is not a flat number, and that’s the biggest surprise we see after a claim,” says Blake.

Also, confirm you carry a separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private carrier as homeowners insurance typically does not cover flood damage.

Finally, check whether your roof is covered at replacement cost or actual cash value and read the endorsements.

“Roof age schedules and cosmetic damage exclusions are where wind claims get quietly shortened,” Blake adds.