It’s back — again. June 1 marks the official start of Atlantic hurricane season, the six months of each year when homeowners up and down the East Coast watch and worrr.

It’s always of particular concern to coastal residents, due to the potential for storm surges and flooding, but we all learned in 2024 from Helene that towns in Upstate South Carolina and the mountains of North Carolina also face risks.

Preparing for hurricane season is a familiar annual ritual for long-time residents, but there can be a learning curve for the tens of thousands of newcomers moving to South Carolina each year.

There are the practical matters of being prepared for a potential evacuation — where to go, how to get there and what to take. And there are the financial matters that could prove crucially important.

The financial pieces mostly involve insurance and saving, but there are some important details that I’ll outline.

Homeowners should know that both hurricane (“wind and hail”) and flood insurance must be purchased in addition to basic homeowners’ insurance, and they work differently. Mortgage lenders require hurricane insurance, but flood insurance depends on flood zones that indicate flood risk.

Flood zone information can be found online at msc.fema.gov.

Just because a property owner isn’t required to carry flood insurance doesn’t mean they should skip it. Federal flood policies cover flooding that rises from the ground, such as the swollen rivers of North Carolina last year, or when a coastal storm surge sends the ocean roaring ashore.

Countless people who didn’t have flood insurance last year surely wish they had.

Hurricane insurance covers damage from wind and things that fall from the sky, such as rain and hail. The deductibles — the amounts a policyholder must pay before the coverage kicks in — work differently than with many kinds of insurance and need to be understood.

For example, if a hurricane policy has a 5 percent deductible that doesn’t mean homeowners would pay 5 percent of a claim amount. Rather, it means they must pay 5 percent of the insured value of their homes before the insurer steps in.

Of course, the higher the deductible the lower the premiums, but homeowners need to understand if their policy could require them to pay tens of thousands of dollars if disaster strikes.

One important thing to remember in South Carolina is that a state tax perk is available for residents with high insurance costs, called the “excess insurance premium tax credit.” The way it works: If the costs of insuring a legal residence exceeds 5 percent of the owner’s annual income, the state will provide a tax credit (reducing one’s income tax) worth up to $1,250.

For some, that could be a way to have more or better insurance without more cost. “Legal residence” means an owner-occupied home that is taxed as a legal residence, which requires a onetime application to a county assessor.

For renters, insurance will cover belongings and more, and those policies are relatively inexpensive.

For vehicle owners, remember that flooding from hurricanes or everyday tidal flooding ruins lots of cars every year. Hundreds were flooded in South Carolina in December when a nor’easter came through. You’ve probably seen photos in The Post and Courier of automobiles with water up to their windows.

Does car insurance cover that? It does — if it includes “comprehensive” coverage, which is typically required by lenders for car loans that haven’t been paid off.

So, for those who aren’t required to have such coverage, consider flood insurance for homes, comprehensive coverage for autos and renters insurance for renters.

Last, know that recovery from a hurricane can take a long time and that any government financial assistance won’t come immediately. It’s important to have a substantial emergency fund, if possible, and hope it won’t be needed.