Hurricane Insurance Protection - Wind Index

: Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI) covers a portion of the deductible of the underlying crop insurance policy when a county, or county adjacent, is within the area of sustained hurricane-force winds. The coverage provided by HIP-WI can be combined with the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) and the Stacked Income Protection Plan (STAX) when acreage is also insured by a companion policy. The Tropical Storm Option (TS) is an option to the HIP-WI endorsement that provides coverage for tropical storm weather events as defined by the Hurricane Data Provisions (HDP).

HIP-WI provides coverage for 70 different crops and is available in counties in the vicinity of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, as well as Hawaii. The deadline to purchase HIP-WI coverage for the 2021 crop year and beyond will be the same as for the underlying policy.

An administrative fee and premium for the crop covered by each HIP-WI Endorsement will be due in addition to any administrative fee and/or premium for the underlying policy. However, the HIP-WI administrative fee may be waived if the producer qualifies as a limited resource farmer, a Beginning Farmer Rancher (BFR) or a Veteran Farmer Rancher (VFR).

Sustained hurricane winds are the only cause of loss for HIP-WI and will be determined from NOAA hurricane wind extents data (refer to the Hurricane Data Provisions documents). If TS is elected, the county loss trigger will be amended to include coverage for a tropical storm weather event. This weather event must have sustained surface wind speeds of 34 knots (39 mph) and at least 6 inches of total precipitation received over four consecutive days (one day preceding the arrival of the tropical storm, the day of the tropical storm, and two days following the arrival of the tropical storm), according to NOAA and as determined by RMA in accordance with the HDP and identified on the actuarial documents.