Does Insurance Cover Dust Storm Damage?

In August 2025, the city of Phoenix experienced a devastating haboob. A wall of dust blanketed the city, plunging it into darkness. The dust storm was accompanied by intense thunderstorms, leaving 39,000 people without power and grounding flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

You buy insurance to protect against unexpected events. But does insurance protect against dust storms?

Yes, a Standard Homeowners Insurance Policy Covers Dust Storms

An ordinary homeowners insurance policy covers dust storms.

If you have an ordinary homeowners insurance policy in the United States, your policy is unlikely to exclude damage caused by haboobs, dust storms, or similar events.

Instead, insurance treats dust storm damage like other storm damage. When heavy winds and debris damage your property, you can make an insurance claim, and your insurance covers the cost of repairing or restoring your property to pre-loss condition.

After the August 2025 haboob in Phoenix, it’s possible insurers could exclude dust storms in the future – especially if they become more common and costly. For now, a standard homeowners insurance policy protects against dust storm damage.

How Dust Storms Damage Homes

Dust may not seem like a destructive force. A dust storm, however, can cause serious damage to homes, businesses, and people.

Typically, dust storms are accompanied by severe thunderstorms and heavy winds. These factors, combined with dust, can create severe damage.

Some of the ways in which dust storms damage property include:

• Roof damage, with high winds lifting shingles, tiles, or panels and exposing your home to leaks.
• Window damage, with flying debris and sand cracking or shattering windows.
• Exterior and siding wear, with abrasive dust blasting away paint, siding, and stucco.
• Tree and landscaping damage
• Mechanical and HVAC system damage, with dust infiltrating clogs, filters, motors, and ducts, forcing expensive repairs
• Interior damage, with dust entering vents, doors, and broken windows to potentially damage furniture and electronics
• Business interruption, with dust storms and their aftereffects potentially shutting down operations for a business

Dust Storms Can Be Deadly

It’s not just property damage. Dust storms also cause deaths. According to NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory, dust storms caused 232 traffic fatalities between 2007 and 2017.

In fact, researchers found the loss of life from dust storms was comparable to the loss of life from hurricanes and wildfires. When dust storms strike, they can quickly cause traffic fatalities at a rate similar to other major disasters. The report aimed to promote greater awareness of dust storms and their severity.

How Insurance Covers Dust Storm Damage

A typical homeowners insurance policy covers dust storm damage under windstorm damage.

When heavy winds propel debris – like dust or tree branches – into your home, your insurance should cover the cost of repairing that damage, regardless of whether it was primarily caused by dust or other debris.

Insurance covers dust storm damage via:

• Repairing and replacing damaged property
• Covering additional living expenses (ALE) if you need to move from your home
• Covering the actual cash value or replacement cost of your possessions (like furniture or rugs damaged by a dust storm)
• Compensating you for the loss of business (say, if your business is damaged from a dust storm), via business interruption coverage
• Taking all other steps to make you, your house, or your business whole again after a covered loss

How Insurers Could Deny or Reduce Dust Storm Insurance Claims

Insurers often don’t want to cover dust storm damage. They likely want to pay as little for your dust storm claim as legally possible.

Some of the ways in which insurers could deny or reduce dust storm insurance claim damages include:

• Cosmetic damage exclusions: If sand blasts away paint, stucco, or siding, your insurer could exclude damage as cosmetic.
• Maintenance and wear-and-tear exclusions: A dust storm may have damaged your home in multiple ways – from tearing away shingles to degrading the siding. Your insurer, however, could argue that the damage already existed. If you can’t prove that it’s new damage, your claim could be denied.
• Dust and pollutant exclusions: Most policies cover dust storm damage. However, some policies do have exclusions for dust and pollutants.
• Maintenance-related HVAC damage exclusions: Dust storms could damage or destroy HVAC systems. If your HVAC system fails after a dust storm, you may be tempted to make an insurance claim. However, your insurer could deny your claim by arguing that the damage was linked to maintenance and long-term wear and tear, not sudden damage from the windstorm.
• Pre-existing conditions: A dust storm may have damaged your roof. Your insurer, however, might deny your claim because you have an old roof. It’s a pre-existing condition that impacts the value of your dust storm claim.
• Negligence or blaming the homeowner: In some cases, insurers blame homeowners for the dust storm. You may have failed to seal, maintain, or clean systems properly, for example. If you left a door or window open during a dust storm, for example, and it damaged sensitive electronics, then your insurer could deny or reduce your claim. They could argue that the damage was preventable and therefore would not be covered.

In short, insurance typically covers structural wind damage. However, they’re unlikely to cover cosmetic damage, gradual damage, or damage caused by wear and tear over time. These are the areas where we typically see disputes.

How Commercial Insurance Covers Dust Storms

Commercial insurance should cover damage caused by a dust storm. It should also cover business interruption linked to a dust storm and other expenses.

Some of the things a commercial property policy might cover include:

• Structural damage to the business’s roof, siding, windows, or signage
• Damage to business personal property (like furniture, computers, and equipment)
• Business interruption losses (say, if your business can’t operate during cleanup or repairs)

Steps to Take After Dust Storm Damage

If your home or business was impacted by a dust storm, then the following step-by-step guide could help protect your claim:

1. Document immediately: Take photos and videos of all visible damage. Check your roof, siding, exterior, and interior for any damage. The more photos and videos you have, the better.
2. Preserve evidence: Don’t rush to clean up everything, and don’t immediately repair anything. Save broken parts, filters, or debris. You should, however, secure your property if needed (say, by putting a tarp over a broken window).
3. Contact your insurer: Your insurer will start a claim number – even if you ultimately don’t choose to file a claim. Your insurer can also advise you on the next steps. Your insurer could also dispatch an adjuster to your property to view damage and apply coverage.
4. Get independent estimates: Your insurer could recommend a cleanup or restoration crew. However, it’s always a good idea to get a second or third opinion. Request an estimate from a local roofing, HVAC, or general contractor.
5. Review your policy: Most policies cover wind and dust storm damage. However, some policies exclude dust or pollutants.
6. Submit required evidence to your insurer: Your insurer may require photos, videos, receipts, and other documentation to substantiate your loss.
7. Contact a public adjuster if needed: Public adjusters are skilled, licensed insurance industry professionals who represent your best interests – not the best interests of your insurer’s shareholders. Public adjusters can help speed up claims, resolve insurance disputes, and overturn denied claims.

Find a Public Adjuster

Where Do Dust Storms Occur?

Life-threatening dust storms aren’t common in the United States. But they can and do occur.

As mentioned above, around 200 people are killed by dust storm-related traffic incidents every 10 years. Dust storms also cause millions of dollars of damage in the United States each year.

Some of the areas where dust storms occur include:

• Arizona
• New Mexico & West Texas
• California & Nevada
• The Great Plains & Midwest

Drought conditions can increase the risk of a dust storm.

Final Word: Get Expert Help for Dust Storm Insurance Claims with ClaimsMate

ClaimsMate is a licensed public adjuster company available to help manage dust storm insurance claims from start to finish.

Some of the ways a public adjuster helps with dust storm claims include:

• Inspect your property thoroughly for hidden dust storm damage
• Review your policy to identify coverage you may have overlooked
• Prepare detailed documentation and estimates
• Negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf
• Manage the claim from start to finish with the goal of maximizing your payout and minimizing stress

Public adjusters work on contingency, so you don’t pay until after you accept the final settlement from your insurer.

Dust storms and windstorm damage claims can feel overwhelming. Get expert help on your side.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Contact ClaimsMate today for a free consultation with a public adjuster for your dust storm claim.

Stephanie Corona

Stephanie is a property insurance claim expert with over 20 years of experience working as an insurance adjuster, expert witness, appraiser and umpire. She is passionate about sharing her expertise, knowledge, tips and training to help both property owners and Public Adjusters in their pursuit of effectively managing claims and recovering the claim settlement they deserve after a loss.