5 Steps to Take if Your Home or Business has Experienced Hurricane Damage

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Several regions of the United States are still trying to recover from recent hurricane damages, with seemingly no end in sight. With nearly two months left in hurricane season, we thought it appropriate to share some tips and advice regarding the appropriate steps to take after a loss.

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have left many homeless, causing devastation for anyone in their paths. Before Irma had even made landfall, Harvey’s damages were estimated at upwards of $180 billion, claiming the lives of 70 people. Unfortunately, many homeowners lacked the necessary flood insurance coverage, leaving them uninsured and unsure where to turn next.

Here are some tips for residents who have been affected by a hurricane or other natural disaster:

1) Assess and Document Damages

Once it is safe for you to return home, do so. Assess the damages and document everything, with either photos or video. Once damages have been recorded, take whatever measures are necessary to secure your home and safeguard against any further damages.

If your roof was damaged, place a tarp over it to prevent additional leaks. If rising water has caused flooding in your home, move personal property to safety and take measures to dry the area out. Keep records of time and money spent on these temporary repairs. Not only will this serve as proof that took action, many insurers will reimburse you for time and expenses.

Important: As part of the insurance contract, you are required to secure your home after a loss. Failure to do so could result in partial claim denial.

2) Notify Your Insurance Carrier Immediately

Gather all paperwork related to the loss and contact your insurance company or agent to submit a claim. If your area was hit particularly hard, this process could take some time. The insurance representatives are working tirelessly and are likely overwhelmed with the amount of work that requires their attention. Promptly replying to any questions and requests for documentation will help ensure you don’t find yourself at the bottom of your adjustors list.

3) Start a Claim Diary

Keep a diary of all important conversations, instructions, and contact information, regarding your claim. Make sure to include the date and time, name of the person you spoke with, and issues that were discussed.

4) Take Inventory

Take inventory of all your personal property that was damaged or lost due to the storm. If you had an inventory list already prepared, this will serve as a great tool and ensure nothing gets left out. If you have before pictures, provide before-and-after photos to your adjustor.

Check with your insurance adjustor before trashing damaged possessions. While proper protocol indicates you must show your claims representative the items before discarded, some local laws require immediate disposal for safety reasons.

5) Get Written Repair Estimates

While you are not authorized to order permanent repairs, it’s a good idea to get several written estimates from reputable contractors. Make sure each estimate includes an itemized list of materials used, prices, and labor costs.

As Florida residents, we understand all too well how stressful these situations can be. Following these five steps can help alleviate some pressure and help the entire claim process go smoothly. If you find you are not covered for some or all of your hurricane loss, the federal government may offer assistance. Visit DisasterAssistance.org for more information and to apply for aid.

Keep Your Family Protected: Devise an Emergency Plan Today

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If you’ve ever experienced an emergency evacuation, you know how stressful and scary it can be. Most of us are busy living our day-to-day lives, never really considering how we would handle an evacuation in our area. Despite popular belief, evacuations are fairly common, happening across the country multiple times per year. From hurricanes to wild fires and hazardous chemical spills, your family could be forced to evacuate, with only a few minutes to pack up and get out. With so little time, it is essential that you and your family have a plan of action, should such an emergency pop up.

Start Planning Now

We rarely know when a disaster may strike. There’s a strong possibility that your family won’t be together, when an evacuation is ordered.

Consider the following when devising your family’s disaster plan:

  • What types of disasters could potentially strike in your area? What special steps should be considered for each disaster type?
  • If separated when an evacuation is ordered, what is your communication plan?
  • How will you reconnect with each other if separated? Establish a family meeting place that everyone can remember and find.
  • How will you and your family receive emergency warnings/alerts?
  • What are the locations for surrounding emergency shelters? If you have pets, which ones allow animals?

    What is your region’s evacuation route?

Your Family’s Communication Plan

Personal belongings can be replaced. Family cannot. The first thing you’ll want to do when disaster strikes is communicate with each family member. How will you contact one another? Many disasters interrupt cell phone service, so make sure your plan includes multiple modes of communication.

Follow these steps when formulating your communication plan

  • Have each family member fill out a contact card, that should be kept with them at all times. The CDC recommends FEMA’s card, which can be downloaded here.
  • Decide on an emergency contact. Make sure their contact information is included on your contact card. If possible, memorize their phone number. Ideally, your emergency contact should be a friend or family member that lives out of town. Family members can call, text, or email this person to let them know they are safe, where they are, etc.
  • Make sure everyone has access to emergency phone numbers. This should include: your emergency contact, police, fire department, and hospitals.

Prepare a Family Disaster Plan

Your family should have a well-defined disaster plan that addresses each potential disaster that could affect your area. Download FEMA’s Emergency Plan and fill out accordingly.

Additional Emergency Preparedness Tips

There are a few additional tips your family will want to take when planning for a disaster.

  • Create a supply kit that includes medicine and a first aid kit. Check and replace supplies periodically throughout the year.
  • Identify reliable disaster information resources. Download mobile apps and consider investing in an emergency weather radio.
  • Review your insurance policies. Identify any coverage gaps that could leave you vulnerable.
  • Make sure each family member knows how to shut off household utilities, such as water, gas, and electricity. Everyone should also know where fire extinguishers are located and how to use them.

Some regions in our country are more vulnerable to the wrath of Mother Nature than others. Residents in those areas should be diligent about their family disaster plan, practicing or reviewing each scenario regularly. The more you practice, the less you’ll have to think about it when it comes time to put your plan into action. While there is no controlling what disasters we’re faced with, we DO have control over how we respond. Your family’s plan could literally safe lives. Wouldn’t you rather have a plan and never need it than be caught unprepared?

How to Protect Your Business this Hurricane Season

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Hurricane season started June 1st.  While the last several years have been fairly quiet, it only takes one strong storm to wipe out everything you’ve worked so hard for. While there is no controlling what Mother Nature delivers, there are steps you, as a business owner, can take to minimize the damage done, both financially and structurally.  

Since your employees and family rely on the business to support their lives, it pays to be prepared.  Consider taking the following steps to ensure you’re in the best possible position to counteract hurricane damage.

Pinpoint Structural Risks

Just because your business is miles from the coast doesn’t mean you can’t sustain damage. Have a certified professional assess the structural integrity of your business’ building. Check for potential weak spots or areas which need maintenance. Spending some money to prepare for a storm is always the preferred option to fixing the damage after the storm. By making sure your building is prepared, you’ll also be making sure your business is prepared. Consider the setbacks you’ll be facing if your business can’t run because of structural damage. Now, imagine if these setbacks could have been avoided with a few simple repairs.

After you’ve made the necessary repairs and preparations, document your structure with photos. This kind of visual proof will help, if you need to replace or rebuild.

Understand Your Policy Coverage

Many insurance companies have strict rules against making policy changes when severe weather or natural disasters are imminent. This is why it is necessary to meet with your agent and periodically review your business (and personal) policies. Look for legal changes, loopholes or necessity for expanded or changed coverage. Any sort of gap in coverage may exclude you from collecting what you’re owed for damages, for instance. Remember, your company’s success is often determined by how fast you can bounce back from all kinds of setbacks, especially natural disasters.

And make sure your coverage matches your location. Florida business owners, for instance, will want to have hurricane coverage as well as flood insurance, as both of these scenarios are possible, often at the same time. Determining your flood zone will help you estimate coverage costs. Your agent will also be able to address what policies will best fit your needs and give you information on who to call, should you need to declare a loss.

Test For Technology Breakdowns

With most modern businesses relying heavily on tech for their daily business, it is a serious consideration when preparing for potentially catastrophic damage. Where and how is your data backed up? How much would it cost to replace your hardware? Is any of your sensitive financial or customer data able to be compromised, in the instance of a service interruption? These and other specific questions should be asked ahead of time. Just like structural integrity, you want to regularly check for technological failures and walk spots. Test your systems regularly and make necessary upgrades, even for normal business operations. Then, develop a contingency plan in case your safeguards don’t work like they should. Keep a back up to the back up plan at all times.

Keep Valuables Stored in Alternative Locations

As stated above, many businesses are incredibly reliant on technology and online data. Therefore, having paper-based documentation and data can be critical, especially when power is out for an indefinite amount of time. Have your sensitive information safely secured offsite will also help when you’re physically unable to reach your business.  

Create a List of Contacts 

Keep a complete and regularly updated list of employees, contacts, vendors, lawyers, accountants, and other vital individuals. Include this contact information in your paper-based documents you’ve securely stored offsite. Keep in mind that you may be reduced to a telephone call, at best, for quite sometime if you’re hit by a major storm. Outside help may be a lifeline to keeping your business and livelihood alive.   

Assign Team Member Responsibilities

When a big storm does make it’s way to you, you’ll have to be reliant on the people around you to be prepared and know what to do. The less you have to direct, the better you’ll be at addressing problems on the fly. And the directions given ahead of time will also ease your team, as they will clearly know what is expected of them and how they should approach their duties.  

Team Communication Is Critical 

When normal communication methods fail, it will fall on your team to follow pre-determined instructions. If your business is in the field, for instance, you’ll want to have designated meet-ups to gather team members who may be on the road. No matter the business you’re in, you need to prepare your employees well ahead of time and review your plan regularly to include new employees or policies on handling emergency situations.

Emergency Kits Ready!

Emergency kits for businesses aren’t just first aid supply, but more of a mobile office. All of the vital paperwork discussed above, along with some necessary tools of the trade will need to be in an easily accessible and ready to move location. You may only have hours to prepare, in some situations.   

No matter the emergency you’re preparing for, it’s important to consider as many possible problems and solutions to match. Being prepared for the worst is so much less painful than attempting to pick up the pieces in the aftermath, especially if you didn’t plan properly. Whether it’s hurricane insurance, increased property coverage or flood insurance, conducive to your flood zone, making sure you’re financially covered is an important cost for any successful business.