WHDH-TV - What to do if your home is damaged by Earl
by admin on Sep.05, 2010, under Home insurance
BOSTON — As we’ve seen, a lot of people along the coast have tried to take some time to prepare for Earl just in case, but what about when the storm is over?
Your house, boat, tree, basement and car can all be damaged when a hurricane hits hard. Back in 1991, Hurricane Bob slammed Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, leaving behind not only a big mess, but a big job for home and business owners.
So, when Earl leaves town, how do you make sure it won’t be tough to get back to normal?
First dig out your insurance policy:
– Make sure you’ve got claim-reporting phone numbers
If you’ve planned ahead, you know your best friend might be a camera, according to insurance experts:
– Inventory your household items in photos or video
If you wake up to storm damage, it’s time to take some pictures again.
“Take pictures, take videos, show the insurance agency and the company what really happened to your property,” said Frank O’Brien, the vice president of Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.
You’ve probably already protected your property by covering windows, putting your vehicles into a garage, securing the boats, but don’t forget to take grills and patio furniture indoors.
After the storm:
– Cover holes in roofs or windows quickly so wind and rain doesn’t cause more damage
Report all damage to your insurance company or agent as soon as possible and remember, if your home is flooded, that’s a special situation. Unless you have special flood insurance, you may not be covered.
“Most homeowners’ insurance policies and commercial insurance policies do not cover flood. That requires separate coverage under the national flood insurance program,” said O’Brien. “Again, talk to your insurance agent, talk to the company, get the facts, there may be something they can do for you.”
Something else to note: your homeowners’ insurance policy does not cover damage to trees, but it may pay to remove the debris if it caused damage to a structure covered by insurance.
(Copyright (c) 2010 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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