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Mississippi Windstorm Underwriting Association (MWUA)

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 13, 2026

What the MWUA is

The MWUA "was established by House Bill 274 of the 1987 session of the Mississippi Legislature to provide a method whereby an adequate market for Windstorm and Hail Insurance may be provided in the Coastal Area of Mississippi." It was revised by House Bill 1500 (2007) and House Bill 444 (2019); the law is Miss. Code Ann. 83-34-1 and following sections. Its plan of operation states the purpose: "to ensure that the residents and business owners of the Coast Area always have a market for windstorm and hail insurance."

The association calls itself "the insurer of last resort for wind and hail coverage in Mississippi's coastal counties." It is run by an eleven-member board (five insurance company representatives, three agency representatives, two coastal business representatives and the State Treasurer), and its rules are subject to the Commissioner of Insurance's review. Staff of MS Plans, LLC operate it from 4270 I-55 N, Suite 100, Jackson.

This site is not the MWUA and is not affiliated with it. We explain its published rules; the association and your agent make the decisions. [1][3][7]

Who is eligible

- Location: property in George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River or Stone county, which the association calls the "Coastal Counties." Homes, mobile homes, farm property, commercial property and vacant property can all be insured. - Try the regular market first. The association says: "Before applying, you must first attempt to obtain windstorm coverage through the voluntary market and receive documented declinations from licensed insurers." - Inspection. The plan of operation calls for an inspection "as soon as reasonably possible"; the fee "shall be paid by the applicant and is not refundable if the application is denied." For policies effective Oct. 1, 2025 and later, MWUA said it would begin offering homeowners a virtual self-inspection as an option alongside the in-person inspection. - Underwriting standards include the amount of insurance compared with the home's value, physical condition, building-code compliance and "the verification of flood coverage on structures located in flood zones denoted as A and V." A risk "shall not be declined for neighborhood, area, location, or environmental hazards beyond the control of the applicant." - Mobile homes must be anchored and secured "in substantial compliance with the Standard Building Code," certified by a local building inspector, contractor, engineer or architect. [1][2][7][10]

What it covers and what it doesn't

"MWUA provides coverage for Windstorm and Hail perils only!" You need another policy (homeowners or fire) for everything else, and flood needs its own policy; see our sister site FloodHawk.

Deductibles. The association must offer a 2% named-storm deductible and other named-storm options "that shall include at least a twenty percent (20%) deductible." Its posted forms show 2%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% named-storm deductibles for homes, plus $500, $1,000 and $2,500 deductibles for other wind and hail losses.

Evacuation expense. On one- to four-family dwellings, the mandatory evacuation clause pays up to $500 per named storm for transportation, food and lodging when civil authorities order your primary residence evacuated. No deductible applies; you need receipts.

FORTIFIED Roof endorsement (replacement-cost policies): if a covered loss damages more than 50% of the roof, the policy adds up to $1,500 for the materials and labor needed to earn the FORTIFIED Roof designation and up to $500 for the evaluator's inspections, outside your dwelling limit and with no deductible.

Matching your homeowners limits. For new policies from Oct. 1, 2025, you must send the declarations page of your fire or homeowners policy, and when you want replacement cost MWUA "will match the insured's replacement cost coverage limits" on that page, with limited exceptions. [1][2][3][7][10][11][12][13]

How to apply

1. Get your declinations from the voluntary market. 2. Contact a licensed Mississippi resident agent. "Consumers must contact a Mississippi Licensed Resident Agent"; you cannot apply directly. "An agent does not have any authority to bind coverage on behalf of the Association under any circumstances." 3. Send the application and premium. If your premium is paid from escrow, your agent bills the mortgage company, and "premium must be submitted along with the new application." 4. Start date. If the property is acceptable, coverage starts at 12:01 a.m. "on the day following the date proper data was received, or effective the date mailed, if sent by certified mail," unless you ask for a later date. 5. Storm freeze. "Under no circumstances will MWUA bind for coverage or issue a policy in the event that a named storm has been declared by the NOAA (National Hurricane Center) to be within 80 degrees W Longitude and 20 degrees N Latitude." [2]

Paying, renewals, cancellations and claims

- Paying: an optional 4-pay plan; no credit cards. You can pay by ACH from a checking or savings account (or your agency's trust account), including through the Policyholder Service Portal. - Minimum premium: $150 on dwellings and mobile homes, $250 on commercial property. A policy service fee of $50 per location applies from Jan. 1, 2026. - Fully earned premium. You get a pro-rata refund only if the property is sold, you replace the wind and hail coverage elsewhere, there is a total loss, or MWUA cancels for underwriting reasons. Otherwise, including cancellation for nonpayment, the premium is "fully earned, non-refundable." - Renewals are not automatic. MWUA sends a Notice of Expiration and Renewal Quotation to you, your agent and your lender before the policy expires. - Grounds for MWUA to cancel include nonpayment, arson evidence, misrepresentation, or a cause that would have made the property unacceptable. A cancelled policy "shall not be reinstated"; you must reapply. - Claims: call (866) 634-4465 or (800) 853-4434, staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or use the Policyholder Service Portal, email newclaims@msplans.com, or fax (877) 786-7275. Questions about an open claim: (877) 200-7461. Have your policy number and the date, time, location and a description of the damage ready. [2][4][5][7][9]

If you're turned down or cancelled: appeals

Under the plan of operation, an applicant who was rejected or a policyholder whose policy was cancelled "may appeal to the Board of Directors within fifteen (15) days after final ruling, action or decision of the Association." The board or an appeals committee must decide within 15 days after the appeal is filed, and you can appeal that decision to the Commissioner of Insurance within 30 days.

If the association denies an application or does not act on it in time, you can also appeal to the Commissioner, who "may direct the Association to issue or cause to be issued an insurance policy." [7]

Rates, funding and recent changes

- Oct. 1, 2025 / Jan. 1, 2026: residential rates rose "an average of 16.8%" (new business from Oct. 1, 2025; renewals from Jan. 1, 2026). Agent commission dropped to 8%, and the policy service fee rose to $50 per location from Jan. 1, 2026. - Oct. 1, 2025: new required application fields (including flood zone and your fire/homeowners insurance), declarations pages for new business, and a virtual self-inspection option. - April 1, 2025: the commercial limit rose to $2,500,000 per location under the plan of operation. - State support: a 2025 law directs $12 million a year of the 3% fee on surplus lines policies to MWUA starting July 1, 2025, and the 2026 Legislature appropriated $12,000,000 for that transfer for the 2026-2027 budget year. - How much it insures: the association's 2024 exposure slides show $2,919,251,143 of residential limits (92% of the total) as of Oct. 31, 2023. [7][9][10][14][15][16][17]

Discounts and grants for a stronger home

MWUA gives premium credits for wind-resistant construction:

There are also credits for homes in communities graded under the Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (you must send the certificate of occupancy), and discounted rates for engineer- or architect-certified wind-resistive and semi-wind-resistive construction.

Strengthen Mississippi Homes grants. As of Oct. 13, 2026, the state's FORTIFIED roof grant (up to $10,000) was open only to MWUA policyholders who have been insured by the wind pool for three consecutive policy years, with recipients picked by lottery. MWUA is providing $2 million for these grants. Apply through the Strengthen Mississippi Homes page. Other homeowners are expected to become eligible in a statewide rollout in early 2027. [18][19][20]

Getting back to the regular market

The plan of operation requires "actuarially-appropriate geographical zones" for rating and "credits and penalties to encourage voluntary writing in the coast area." Each year the manager reports to the board on voluntary writings in the previous year. MWUA does not renew policies automatically; it sends a renewal quotation to you, your agent and your lender before the policy expires. [2][7]

Help

- MWUA: (601) 981-2915, fax (601) 608-7517, P.O. Box 5389, Jackson, MS 39296; email mwua@msplans.com. Office hours Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Central. For policy questions, the association says to start with your servicing agent. - Complaints: Mississippi Insurance Department Consumer Services, (800) 562-2957, or the online complaint page. - Statewide FAIR plan (fire and other perils): Mississippi FAIR Plan (MRPIUA). - Mississippi's rules if you were dropped: Homeowners Insurance in Mississippi. [2][6][9][21][22]

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