Hurricane Irene... the Whole State of Massachusetts Is in the Red Zone.

Unfortunately... yes.

In FL, you have to have two separate components to your home owners insurance- flood and rain. Apparently "water isn't water" when it comes to storm damage. For some insurance carriers, if your home experiences damage not attributed to flooding, you will have to jump through hoops to get coverage.

My parents always took pictures of our house room-by-room prior to a storm, including major appliances and devices. Have your insurance policy in a plastic protector and have all important numbers pre-programmed into your phone. Copies of important documents should also be somewhere protected!

I know flood insurance is separate from regular home-owners insurance. Something that most people are not aware about until they try to submit a flood damage claim.

Also something to think about or call and ask your insurance agent...Can you even get coverage this quickly? I would think that something like this would take a coverage cycle to kick-in, to avoid an increase in policy purchases with impending weather such as this. Keep in mind, the insurance company is a business and trying to make money, not fork it out within days of a policy beginning. (Didn't say I advocate it, but it's the truth.)

In NC we had a couple policies. These were mandatory.
Regular homeowners
Flood--separate policy
Wind/Hail/Rain damage--separate policy

I believe that most insurance policies sold here have a separate (higher) hurricane wind loss deductible, but you will be covered from wind damage if the hurricane damages your home. What you wouldn't necessarily be covered for is water damage. I know that if you live in a flood plain, you would have to have separate flood insurance on your home anyway that would cover coastal flooding, but I honestly don't know how the water damage works if the wind takes your roof off (covered loss) but then it rains in your house (not covered because it's water damage?). Check your policy - it's spelled out there.

Flooding is strange but I live in an area that floods. We are not in a flood plane so we do not have to carry flood insurance. If our home floods it is covered as an act of god. I know we are covered for tornadoes because we get them. Nothing special to get that coverage it is just part of the midwestern insurance package, ya know? I don't know about hurricanes but I would think living on a coast it is a possibility.

Oh, perhaps call your agent, they would know. :)

I think you should call and ask your insurance company.