Hippo's third annual 2026 Extreme Weather Report found that 90% of homeowners feel unprepared for at least one severe weather event, despite 85% actively monitoring weather alerts in their area.

There is a real difference between being aware of severe weather and being financially prepared for it: 37% of homeowners could not confidently explain what their homeowners insurance covers for weather-related damage, and that uncertainty has a price: 39% have assumed something was covered by their insurance, only to find out it was not.

Now in its third year, the survey digs into the gap between severe weather awareness and readiness, and what that gap costs homeowners financially.

Key findings

1 in 5 homeowners who paid out of pocket for weather damage are still carrying that debt, and most have carried it for two years or more.
90% of homeowners feel unprepared for at least one severe weather event.
68% of homeowners are concerned about extreme weather damaging their home, but only 18% feel very prepared to protect it.
37% of homeowners could not confidently explain what their homeowners insurance covers for weather-related damage.
55% of homeowners don't know their own deductible off the top of their head.
39% of homeowners have assumed something was covered by their homeowners insurance and been wrong, with 19% of all respondents stating that the misunderstanding cost them money out of pocket.
Nearly 80% of homeowners are not financially prepared for an unexpected weather-related repair, lacking either the savings to cover the cost or the ability to complete the work themselves.
39% of homeowners say the biggest barrier preventing them from completing weather-related upgrades is cost.

Awareness vs. action: homeowners are concerned, but not prepared

In the past three years, nearly 60% of homeowners have experienced storm-related damage to their homes.

Despite this, few homeowners have taken steps to prepare:

Only 18% feel very prepared for extreme weather this year.
Just 21% have reviewed their home insurance policy to understand what's covered.
31% took no preparedness action at all in the past 12 months.

Homeowners feel least ready for high winds, with 58% citing it as the weather event they feel least ready for at home, the highest of any weather risk category measured. One reason may be predictability: while certain seasons tend to see more wind on average, individual high wind events are harder to forecast than a hurricane season or a winter cold snap, and can strike with little warning, making it harder for homeowners to build preparation into their routines, even though the damage can be just as serious.

Extreme heat (28%) and winter weather (31%) are genuinely seasonal, so homeowners know roughly when to prepare. Heavy rain or flooding (41%) falls in between — seasonal in some regions, unpredictable in others.

What's actually covered by insurance

The data shows homeowners aren't very familiar with their home insurance policies, especially regarding extreme weather:

37% of homeowners aren't confident they could explain what their homeowners insurance covers for weather-related damage without looking it up.
55% don't know their own deductible off the top of their head.
39% assumed something was covered by their insurance, only to find out they were wrong. For nearly 1 in 5 of all homeowners (19%), that mistake cost them money out of pocket.

The financial toll of weather damage

Half of all U.S. homeowners have paid out of pocket for weather-related home damage in the past three years. Among those who did, many were not writing a small check: 21% paid $2,000 or more, and 9% paid $5,000 or more.

Who do homeowners trust?

Homeowners are far more likely to turn to a local meteorologist (65%) or even friends and family (31%) for storm-prep advice than their own insurance agent (12%). It’s a gap Hippo aims to help close. Rather than only stepping in after damage happens, Hippo focuses on helping homeowners prevent it in the first place.

Home maintenance tips, from Hippo

Homeowners are more likely to take physical action on their home than to update their insurance: 32% have taken mitigation steps like trimming trees or checking drainage, and 28% have taught themselves basic DIY repairs. But only 11% have purchased or renewed additional insurance protection, down from 15% in 2025.

Courtney Klosterman, Home Insights Expert at Hippo, shares five no-cost and low-cost ways to prepare your home for severe weather events:

Trim branches away from the roofline and secure loose outdoor items, like patio furniture and trash cans, so nothing becomes a hazard in high winds.
Clear your gutters and downspouts twice a year, and make sure rainwater has a clear path away from your house.
Insulate any exposed pipes in unheated spaces, like a garage or crawl space, and know where your main water shutoff is so you can act fast if a pipe ever bursts.
Service your HVAC system and check that your attic is properly ventilated.
Review your homeowners insurance coverage once a year, so you're not caught off guard by what is or isn't included after damage happens.

"The homeowners who fare best after severe weather usually aren't the ones who spent the most, they're the ones who did the small things ahead of time," says Klosterman.

"Our data found that nearly a third of homeowners took no preparation steps at all last year. A lot of that isn't neglect, it's not knowing where to start. You don't need a renovation budget to protect your home—clearing a gutter or knowing where your shutoff valve is can be the difference between a minor repair and a major one."

Smart budgeting tips, from a certified financial planner

With 1 in 5 homeowners who paid out of pocket for weather damage still carrying that debt, most of them for two years or longer, and delayed savings and renovation goals as a common ripple effect, budgeting guidance should focus on:

Building a dedicated home-repair emergency fund to dip into for unexpected repair costs
Knowing your deductible before storm season, not after a claim
Treating an annual insurance policy review as a budgeting exercise, not just paperwork
Weighing the cost of small preventive repairs against the multi-year cost of financing a large one after the fact
Set an annual home maintenance budget so to help plan for small issues before they become expensive ones
Use a dedicated tool, like the free Hippo Home app, so maintenance history is always in one place, and you're notified when a task is coming up.

"A one-time repair bill is stressful, but it's typically manageable. However, carrying debt from the repair costs for 1-2 years can affect other decisions such as how much you can save for other goals or invest for your retirement or even how you’ll cover the cost of the next repair. Set up a home maintenance savings account and budget regular contributions into it, at least up to the amount of the deductible, that way you’ll be ahead before storm season starts and prepared instead of figuring out how to pay for it later, when it's harder to absorb," says Certified Financial Planner™ Brittney Castro.

Methodology

Any data referencing the 2026 Extreme Weather Report was collected from July 13, 2026, to July 22, 2026, and conducted by Centiment on behalf of Hippo Insurance Services. The results are based on 1,047 completed surveys. To qualify, respondents had to be residents of the United States, over 18 years of age, and homeowners. Data is census-balanced, and the margin of error is approximately ±3% for the overall sample with a 95% confidence level.

The MOE and confidence level for data filtered by specific demographics (subgroups) may differ from the overall result. Because these subgroups are naturally smaller than the total sample, they may have a larger margin of error than the ±3% for the full data set.

Any data referencing the 2025 Extreme Weather Report was collected by SurveyMonkey Audience for Hippo Insurance Services. The survey was fielded between February 20, 2025, and February 21, 2025. The results are based on 2,015 completed surveys. To qualify, respondents had to be residents of the United States, be over 18 years of age, and own a home. Data are unweighted, and the margin of error is approximately ±2 % for the overall sample at a 95% confidence level.

This article is for informational purposes only. The content reflects general homeowner considerations and is not professional advice. It also includes observed trends in the surveyed population, as well as additional information compiled from sources unaffiliated with Hippo. While we believe this information to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. For any insurance-related decision, please consult your licensed insurance producer.

Sources cited are publicly available and referenced in September 2026.