The Age Old Question: Are You Covered?

In the fading wake of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, more and more property owners are waking up to some fairly unpleasant news, namely that they are not in fact covered for such a disaster by their homeowners’ insurance policy.  Some insurance agencies are reporting near round the clock calls from harried homeowners, and have had to hire additional phone help to handle the overload.

Water damage is a tricky issue when it comes to insurance.  In most cases, flood damage is not covered, and in many cases, general water damage isn’t covered if it can be in any way proven that the damage was the result of negligence on the part of the homeowner. 

If the exterior of your home was damaged by a tree falling due to high winds, that would be covered, but water in your basement as a result of a flash flood likely would not.  It would be seen as a scenario that was preventable by most insurance companies.

Most homeowner’s policies include living expenses for occupants to stay somewhere else while the home is repaired, but flood insurance does not.

Of course the best thing for any homeowner to do (and this is not the first time I have written this particular piece of advice) is to go and have a sit down meeting with your homeowners’ policy provider.  Go through your policy step by step and determine what is and what is not covered.  If you do not have flood insurance, check to see if your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is the government provider for flood damage insurance, and add the coverage you feel is necessary to protect you and your home and family.

Flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program covers water damage caused by water that has either migrated over two parcels or engulfed two acres of land.  Any items you wish to have covered must be listed on the policy.

As of April 2010, the program insured about 5.5 million homes, the majority of which were in Texas and Florida. While recent storms have depleted much of the NFIP’s funds, the government has passed legislation guaranteeing continuance of the program for at least another two years.

Water Damage Local.com works alongside your insurance company and claims adjust throughout the repair and restoration process.  We take care of the red tape and paperwork; that way you have one less headache to worry about.  We figure you have enough problems by this point already.

And of course we are available 24/7/365, with a full staff of trained professionals, the latest in water restoration gear and procedures, and offer a full range of services from water removal and drying, to carpet cleaning and mold removal, to structural repair and restoration.  We can have a technician out to your property within an hour of your call, ready to assess the problem and begin the restoration process.

Don’t wait for the rain, go ahead today and contact Water Damage Local.com to get connected with an IICRC certified provider in your area.  It doesn’t matter if there isn’t a cloud in the sky or if you are in a brand new home with new pipes…..make the call today for peace of mind tomorrow.