Northeast Florida · guide · checked October 2026
Car glass after a storm in Northeast Florida.
The wind has dropped and the street is full of branches. If a limb or flying debris broke glass on your car, this is the order that keeps a claim simple and the car dry.
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The record
Storms that hit the First Coast
Jacksonville rarely takes a direct hit, yet storms passing offshore or inland have still brought surge, wind and falling trees.
| Storm | What happened locally |
|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Beryl, May 2012 | Came ashore near Jacksonville Beach just after midnight on May 28 with winds near 65 mph; about 38,000 Jacksonville homes lost power |
| Hurricane Matthew, October 2016 | Passed offshore; a nor'easter had already pushed the St. Johns up, and the ocean at Jacksonville set a high-water record of 3.21 feet above high tide |
| Hurricane Irma, September 2017 | Tracked well inland, yet gusts reached 87 mph at Mayport, more than 260,000 JEA customers lost power, and the river at the Main Street Bridge crested at 5.57 feet, about a foot and a half above the 1964 record |
| Hurricane Nicole, November 2022 | The ocean at Jacksonville rose 3.58 feet above high tide, beating Matthew's record |
Every one of these brought down trees and limbs across the city. That, more than the water, is what breaks car glass.
Once it passes
The order that helps
Stay clear of lines and trees
A limb resting on a car can be holding a power line down with it. Leave it to JEA or a tree crew if wires are anywhere near.
Photograph it where it lies
Wide shots that show the limb or debris on the car, then close-ups of each broken pane and the inside of the car. Insurers ask what caused the damage, and these pictures answer it.
Keep the rain out
Storm bands can keep coming for a day or two. Cover any open window or roof from the outside with heavy plastic, taped to paint rather than to glass, or move the car under a roof.
Start the claim
Call your insurer or use its app. After a big storm the lines are busy; the app is often quicker. We help you file the claim for the glass.
Book the glass
Request a time online at any hour. We confirm the date with you once the right glass is in hand and the roads to you are open.
If water got inside the car above the floor, tell your insurer before anything else. A flooded car is assessed as a whole first, and new glass waits for that decision.
Which glass, which rule
The windshield and everything else
Florida treats the windshield differently from the rest of the car's glass. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.7288, the deductible "shall not be applicable to damage to the windshield" on a policy that carries comprehensive coverage. A storm-cracked windshield on such a policy is $0 Deductible with Comprehensive Coverage.
Door windows, back glass and sunroofs do not get that treatment. A storm claim for any of them goes under the policy's comprehensive deductible, and a falling limb usually breaks more than one piece. Without comprehensive coverage, storm damage to glass is not covered at all. We go over the numbers with you before booking.
Door-to-door offers
Offers Florida law rules out
Storm damage brings people knocking. Some are honest; some are not. Two Florida laws make the warning signs easy to spot when the offer is for car glass.
First, since 2023, § 559.920(17) has barred repair shops from offering cash, a gift card, a rebate or anything else of value for making a glass claim. Anyone who promises you money or a gift for letting them file your windshield claim is offering something the law forbids. We never make that offer.
Second, for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2023, § 627.7289 makes an assignment of your post-loss auto benefits void. A form that signs your glass benefits over to the person at the door is not something you should sign, and we never ask for one. Your claim stays yours from start to finish.
Three habits that help
- Do not sign anything blank or anything you have not read.
- Ask for a written quote that names the glass and the vehicle.
- Call your insurer yourself, from the number on your card.
Install day
When the glass goes in
- Clear the branches and debris from around the car, so the technician can open both doors on the side being worked on.
- A garage, carport or covered parking level keeps the job on schedule if another band of rain comes through.
- Take loose glass off the seats if you need to move the car, and leave the rest for us to vacuum.
- If several panes broke, tell us all of them when you book, so we bring every piece on one visit.
We do not install in the rain. If weather moves back in, we call to move the time and you choose the new one.
Storm broke your car's glass?
Send photos by text to (877) 350-5962, or call our Jacksonville line, (904) 900-2264. Our (877) line, (877) 994-5277, is answered 24/7.
After-storm questions
Ask us on our Jacksonville line, (904) 900-2264, or by text at (877) 350-5962.
Does insurance pay for a windshield cracked by a falling branch?
With comprehensive coverage, yes, and in Florida the deductible does not apply to the windshield under Fla. Stat. § 627.7288. Other glass broken by the same branch goes under your comprehensive deductible. We check your policy with you first.
Someone offered me cash to file my glass claim through them. Is that legal?
No. Florida's § 559.920(17) bars repair shops from offering cash, gift cards or anything of value for making a glass claim. Turn it down.
Should I move the limb off the car before I take pictures?
No. Photograph the car with the limb still on it if you can do that safely, then again once it is removed. Stay away from any wires.
How soon can you come after a hurricane?
That depends on the roads, the glass your car needs and how many people are booking. We confirm a date once the glass is ready and your area is open, and we do not guess before then.
From Bang AutoGlass
Before the next one
A cracked windshield before a Jacksonville evacuation
Evacuation zones and when a crack needs replacing before you drive out.
Sources
Facts checked October 16, 2026
- Effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida, Wikipedia
- Hurricane Nicole (2022), Wikipedia
- Effects of Hurricane Matthew in Florida, Wikipedia
- Tropical Storm Beryl (2012), Wikipedia
- Fla. Stat. § 627.7288, § 627.7289 and § 559.920, The Florida Senate
Things change. If something here is out of date, tell us on our Jacksonville line, (904) 900-2264.
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