A windstorm damages a building's roof, and rain then enters through the opening and destroys interior contents. Under the efficient proximate cause doctrine, which peril is treated as the cause of the entire loss for coverage purposes?

Why this is the answer

The efficient proximate cause doctrine holds that when a sequence of perils causes a loss, courts look to the peril that first set the chain of events in motion. Here, wind breached the roof; without that breach, rain could not have entered. If wind is a covered peril, the entire loss — including rain damage — is covered. If wind were excluded, the rain entry would also be excluded, even if rain is normally covered. The doctrine prevents insurers from denying claims simply because the final direct cause is listed as an exclusion. Per FL Outline §II, proximate cause is a tested concept in the Property Terms section.