USAA dropping wind coverage on the Coast

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST — USAA, a banking and insurance company that caters to military personnel, is dropping wind coverage from its homeowners’ policies in Mississippi’s three coastal counties.

The Sun Herald reports that about 1,550 policyholders in Jackson, Harrison and Hancock counties began receiving notices this week.

USAA spokesman Paul Berry said yesterday that policyholders will lose the wind coverage upon renewal, beginning Feb. 1.

Berry said USAA would offer wind coverage to new customers in the three counties whose properties are deemed an acceptable risk.

“There will be some properties in the highest risk areas of these counties that we can no longer provide wind and hail coverage,” Berry said. “At the same time, these changes will allow us to write more wind and hail coverage in Mississippi, including in these three counties that were previously unable to have the coverage.”

He said USAA “is taking steps to manage exposure to catastrophic losses for the benefit of our members nationwide and in Mississippi.”