Insurance in Miami-Dade & Broward, explained.
Hurricane-zone building rules, storm surge zones and king tides: what's different about insuring a home and a car in Miami-Dade and Broward.
Miami-Dade and Broward counties
In Miami-Dade and Broward, the building code itself is stricter than anywhere else in Florida, and water comes from two directions: the ocean in a hurricane, and the tide on a calm, sunny day. Both of those show up in how your home and your car are insured.
The building code is tougher here
The Florida Building Code has a set of rules called the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and it applies to exactly two counties: Miami-Dade and Broward. Those stricter sections came out of the lessons of Hurricane Andrew, and they cover things like roofing and the openings of a house.
In practice, that means roofing products, windows and doors installed here generally need a product approval that specifically covers the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, such as a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance. A product that’s approved for the rest of Florida isn’t automatically allowed here.
Why it matters for insurance: when an insurer looks at your home, it wants to know what the roof, the windows and the doors actually are, and when they went in. Permits, product approval numbers and a current wind mitigation form are how you prove it. If you’ve replaced a roof or added impact windows, keep the paperwork. I’ll ask for it.
Storm surge zones, and how evacuation works
Miami-Dade divides the county into storm surge planning zones, A through E. Zone A is at risk of surge from a Category 1 storm, and each letter after that covers stronger storms. The county is clear that these zones deal only with surge, not with your flood zone.
Broward plans evacuations in two stages. For weaker hurricanes, mobile homes, low-lying areas and everything east of the Intracoastal go first. For a Category 3 or stronger, the order extends to everyone east of U.S. 1.
Your zone is a good, honest look at how close the water can get. If your home is in an early zone, that’s a conversation about flood coverage, not just wind.
King tides: flooding without a storm
The highest tides of the year, called king tides, can push salt water into low streets and yards with no rain at all. Miami-Dade says southeast Florida’s highest tides usually come in the fall, and that sea level rise is making them more frequent and reaching further inland.
Two things to know:
- Your home. A standard home policy doesn’t cover flood. A flood policy covers rising water, and its definition of a flood includes the overflow of tidal water. It’s written separately, and new policies usually have a waiting period, so it can’t be bought the morning the water comes up.
- Your car. Salt water and cars don’t mix. If a car is damaged driving through or parked in flood water, that’s usually a comprehensive claim, not collision. If you only carry the state minimum, you don’t have it. Miami-Dade also suggests rinsing your car with fresh water after driving through salt water.
Good to know
- Look up both maps. Find your surge or evacuation zone on your county’s site, and your flood zone on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. They answer different questions.
- Keep your roof and window paperwork. Permit records and product approvals help your home get credit for what it has.
- Condo owners: your association insures the building, and you insure your unit. If the association assesses owners after a loss to the association’s property, of a kind your own policy covers, the loss assessment coverage on your policy is what usually responds. An assessment for routine repairs or reserves usually isn’t that kind of loss, so it’s worth knowing what yours covers.
- Don’t wait for a forecast. A new flood policy generally has a 30-day waiting period before it takes effect.
Helpful local links
Questions people ask
What is the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone?
It's the name the Florida Building Code gives to its strictest set of wind rules, and it covers just two counties: Miami-Dade and Broward. Roofing, windows and doors installed here generally have to be products approved for that zone.
Is my storm surge zone the same as my flood zone?
No. Your evacuation or storm surge zone tells you when to leave before a hurricane. Your FEMA flood zone is a separate map that lenders and insurers use. Check both, because a home can be outside one and inside the other.
Does my home insurance cover king-tide flooding?
A standard home policy doesn't cover flood, and that includes tidal water coming up through the yard or the street. That's what a flood policy is for. For your car, flood damage is usually a comprehensive claim, so check that your auto policy carries comprehensive.
Do I need to come into an office?
No. Elona works with clients across Florida by phone, text and email, so there's nothing to drive to.