Families Need to Know Before the Storm
When you’re running a business, managing a household, raising a family, or doing all three, hurricane preparation can easily become something you plan to deal with once a storm is headed your way.
Unfortunately, that’s often too late.
The best time to prepare is before there’s a named storm approaching Florida. A little work in advance can help protect your property, make an evacuation less stressful, and put you in a much better position if you ultimately need to file an insurance claim.
Here are some of the most important things to know before, during, and after a storm.
Start With Your Insurance, Not the Weather Forecast
One of the most important hurricane preparation steps is also one of the easiest to overlook: know what insurance you have before you need it.
Locate your current policies and review your coverage, limits and deductibles. Florida property policies commonly have separate hurricane or windstorm deductibles, which may be significantly higher than the deductible you would pay for another type of claim.
Ask yourself: If I had significant damage tomorrow, do I understand what my policy would cover and what I would be responsible for paying?
Knowing you have insurance isn’t the same as understanding how it will respond.
This is also the time to evaluate your flood exposure. Rising water caused by weather is generally considered flooding and is excluded from most standard homeowners and landlord policies in Florida unless separate flood coverage or an applicable endorsement has been purchased.
And don’t assume you’re safe simply because your property isn’t in a high-risk flood zone. Flood risk and flood insurance are worth discussing before there is a storm on the map.
Document What You Own Before There Is Damage
If you’ve never walked through your home or business with your phone and recorded everything, hurricane season is a good reason to do it.
Photos are helpful. Video can be even better.
Walk through each room and capture furniture, electronics, appliances, equipment and other valuable property. For unique or expensive items, keep receipts, serial numbers or other documentation when possible.
Business owners should think beyond the building itself. Depending on your business, that could include computers, furniture, machinery, tools, inventory and other equipment that would need to be replaced after a major loss.
You don’t want to create that inventory from memory after the property has already been damaged.
Take a Look at the Property Itself
Before hurricane season gets busy, take a walk around your home and business properties.
Look at the roof for lifting shingles, excessive wear, active leaks or other signs that maintenance may be needed. Document its current age and condition.
Then look around the property. Are there dead or dying trees? Limbs hanging close to the structure? Patio furniture, grills, firepits, sheds or other items that could become projectiles in high winds?
These are much easier problems to address on a normal Saturday than 48 hours before a hurricane.
If a storm does approach, move vehicles into a garage when possible, secure outdoor items, and consider sandbags or other precautions for areas prone to water intrusion.
Have a Plan That Includes Your Family, Pets and Business
An evacuation plan shouldn’t begin when an evacuation order is issued.
Know where you would go and how you would get there. Consider making arrangements ahead of time with friends or family within driving distance. And don’t forget pets when making those plans.
For business owners, there’s another layer: What happens to your business if you and your team can’t physically get to work?
Storms can close schools and government offices, disrupt staffing, and create days of uncertainty even when the ultimate storm track changes. Think ahead about communication, remote work, protecting equipment and data, and who is responsible for checking the property after the storm.
Don’t Wait Until a Storm Is Coming to Handle Your Insurance
This is especially important if you’re buying a home, closing on a property, or making changes to your insurance.
When a storm threatens an area, insurance companies may temporarily stop binding new coverage. That can affect people who waited to purchase coverage and can even disrupt real estate closings.
By the time the cone appears on the weather map, some insurance decisions may already be out of your hands. Take care of insurance changes while the weather is quiet.
After the Storm: Safety First
Once it’s safe to do so, get eyes on the property as quickly as possible. That could mean checking it yourself, asking a trusted neighbor, or even using exterior cameras to get an initial look.
Photograph or video any damage before beginning cleanup whenever possible. Make sure doors and windows can close and lock, and take reasonable steps to prevent additional damage. That might include temporarily tarping a damaged roof, boarding a broken window, or drying up water with towels, fans or a wet vacuum.
Keep receipts for temporary repairs and expenses related to the loss.
If You Have Damage, Don’t Be Afraid to Use Your Insurance
If your property has legitimate storm damage from what appears to be a covered event, turn in the claim. That’s what insurance is there for.
We sometimes hear from clients who are worried that filing a hurricane claim will automatically cause their premium to skyrocket or make them difficult to insure in the future. While every policy and situation is unique, hurricane and other widespread catastrophic weather claims are generally viewed differently than many individual, non-weather-related claims and typically have little to no impact on a client’s future premium or insurability.
That doesn’t mean every fallen branch or minor issue needs to become an insurance claim. Your deductible still matters, and damage that is clearly below it may not warrant filing. But if you have legitimate damage that may be covered, don’t let fear about your future insurance keep you from using the coverage you’ve been paying for.
Report the claim promptly. Online reporting is often the most efficient way to get the process started. Opt into text communication when available and answer unfamiliar phone numbers in the days following the claim. Your insurance company, adjuster or contractor may be trying to reach you.
A typical claim may involve the initial notice of loss, an adjuster inspection, a settlement offer and, depending on the policy, recoverable depreciation after repairs are completed.
A Few Common Hurricane Insurance Questions
What happens if my neighbor’s tree falls on my house? As a general rule, coverage follows the property that was damaged. If a tree falls onto insured property, the insurance covering that damaged property is typically where you start. If a tree simply falls into the yard without damaging covered property, removal may instead be a maintenance expense.
Are fences and screened enclosures covered? Maybe. Florida policies commonly contain limitations or exclusions for these structures during hurricanes. Even when coverage applies, the amount of damage may fall below the hurricane deductible.
Will homeowners insurance cover flooding? Generally, standard property insurance does not cover rising water caused by weather. Flood coverage typically requires a separate flood policy or applicable endorsement.
Will insurance pay for my hotel if I evacuate? Loss-of-use coverage generally applies when a home becomes uninhabitable because of damage caused by a covered peril. Simply evacuating, or losing power or air conditioning because of a utility outage, does not necessarily trigger that coverage.
Preparation Is Easier Than Recovery
For busy families and business owners, the goal isn’t to become an expert on hurricanes or insurance policies. It’s to make a few important decisions before you’re forced to make them under pressure.
Know your coverage and deductibles. Document what you own. Address obvious property concerns. Make a plan for your family, pets and business. And know who you’re going to call when you have an insurance question.
At Ricci Insurance Group, our team has more than 100 years of combined insurance experience, and our clients’ policies are managed by our own dedicated team, not a call center. Part of our job is helping our clients understand their coverage before they have to use it.
If you own a business, home or investment property and aren’t sure how your current insurance would respond to a hurricane, now is the time to find out.
Ricci Insurance Group is here to help you prepare before the storm and navigate what comes next if one arrives.
