Property and Casualty Insurance

Every year, the same thing happens. September passes with few major storms making landfall, clients breathe a sigh of relief, and the urgency around hurricane preparedness quietly fades. Conversations that should happen in October don’t, because everyone assumes the danger has passed, but has it?

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs through November 30^th, and while activity typically peaks around September 10^th, October has produced some of the most destructive storms in recent memory (Milton in 2024, Michael in 2018, and Matthew in 2016) For brokers with coastal and storm-exposed clients, October is one of the most important times to pick up the phone.

Quiet Start, Open Window

The 2026 season reached an unusual milestone as of early October. Eight named storms had formed, but none had strengthened into a hurricane, making it the latest the season had gone without one during the modern satellite era.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) updated outlook puts a 75% probability on a below-normal season, but forecasters are clear that a season with relatively few storms can still produce a single hurricane that strikes a populated coastline. The quiet start doesn’t mean the season is over. NHC climatology shows the average Atlantic season doesn’t reach its sixth hurricane until around October 15^th, and the third major hurricane typically isn’t reached until around October 28^th.

Where the Real Coverage Gaps Live

For brokers, the more important question is whether your clients’ coverage would actually hold up if a storm did hit. For many commercial and personal lines clients, the honest answer is: probably not fully.

Here are the gaps worth reviewing right now:

Business interruption coverage

Many commercial policies include business interruption coverage, but the trigger, waiting period, and duration of coverage vary widely. A client who assumes they’re covered for lost revenue during a two-week closure may find out their policy only kicks in after a 72-hour waiting period or only covers physical damage to their own property and not a utility outage or road closure that keeps customers away.

Flood coverage

Standard commercial and homeowners policies don’t cover flood damage. This bears repeating every single year, because clients forget, and storms bring water. If a client in a coastal or low-lying area doesn’t have a separate flood policy, they’re uninsured for one of the most common and costly consequences of a hurricane.

Ordinance or law coverage

If a storm damages a building and local building codes require upgrades during reconstruction, standard property coverage often won’t cover the difference. This gap is particularly relevant for older commercial buildings, and it’s one most clients have never thought about.

Debris removal and cleanup costs

Many policies cap debris removal coverage at a fraction of what a major cleanup actually costs. For commercial clients with large lots, outbuildings, or significant tree cover, this can be a meaningful out-of-pocket exposure.

The October Conversation Brokers Should Be Having

The window between now and November 30^th is a legitimate reason to reach out. It doesn’t require a hard sell or a scary message. Just a proactive check-in framed around service:

“We’re still in hurricane season through the end of November, and with the way this year has been shaping up, I wanted to make sure we’ve reviewed your coverage before we get to the end of the season. It’ll take 20 minutes, and it’s the kind of thing that’s easy to put off but really worth doing.”

Most clients will welcome the call. Some may reveal changes like a renovation, a new location, or an increase in inventory. They may have created coverage gaps they didn’t know existed. And a few will have the kind of conversation that prevents a catastrophic claim from becoming a financial crisis.

The Bottom Line

A quiet hurricane season can be more dangerous than an active one from a coverage standpoint. When clients don’t see storms, they don’t think about risk. When they don’t think about risk, they don’t review their coverage. And when a late-season storm does arrive, it’s too late to fix the gaps.

Don’t let the quiet lull your clients into complacency. The season isn’t over. Use the time you have.