hurricane preparedness
Antonio Mendoza May 12, 2021

Hurricane Preparedness with CW39

Today is day 4 of hurricane preparedness week. With the topic of getting an insurance checkup at the forefront… Mark Rafail, with Farmers Insurance, is here to answer some questions about homeowners and flood insurnace policies.

If your costs for rebuilding/ repairing exceeds the amount originally granted to you by your insurance company you can file for a supplement. Mark says that after a storm inflation will likely occur and costs for item will generally be higher. If you have documentation, file again with your insurance company, and they will come back with an adjuster to refile the cost of the claim.

Losing documents in the flood waters can be devastating. Unfortunately, Mark told me that you will have to go through the process of retrieving you paperwork through the DMV , which can be very time consuming. However, your actual policy number and insurance documents can be pulled up online by your agent. “Whether it is an inch of water or a foot of water, you are going to have to gut the house”, says Mark. Did you know? Just 1 inch of water can cause $25,000 of damage to your home.

Tips for filing:

If you are evacuating for a storm, bring ALL important documents with you in a waterproof container. These are vital to keep safe and keep with you throughout the process.

Learn more about your policy ahead of time Speak to your own agent before a storm strikes so you know what to expect and know what you are covered for.

Mark explains that wind and water can trigger two separate policies. If water is dripping from above, that is covered by homeowners insurance, flood insurance cover water rising from below. The policies are independent from each other and must be purchased separately.

713-429-1790