What is a windstorm?

Hurricane Harvey insurance litigation continues. The dispute in Landmark Am. Ins. Co. v. SCD Mem. Place II, LLC involved a “named perils” policy, one of which was “Windstorm or Hail associated with a Named Storm.” While the unfortunate insured experienced significant damage when Buffalo Bayou overflowed its banks and flooded the insured’s property, it did not experience any wind or hail damage. The Fifth Circuit sided with the insured, holding that “[t]his framing sets up ‘Windstorm’ and ‘Hail’ as specific perils that may be associated with a number of weather events rather than as weather events that may encompass any number of perils.” No. 20-20389 (Feb. 3, 2022)