Check your insurance coverage before storms threaten
Keep in mind that in most cases for flood insurance, there is a 30-day waiting period, meaning that you will need to get it now for coverage to begin in July.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Hurricane season begins June 1 and many Coastal Bend residents know firsthand the difficulty a storm can bring.
But how much do you know about your insurance coverage?
When a storm starts making waves along the coast, most of us start thinking about our homeowner’s insurance. But keep in mind that once a hurricane gets close enough to the state, it is usually too late to make any changes. If your home is damaged, the insurance that you have is the insurance you will have to use.
According to State Farm Insurance Agent Drew Becquet, “There is a time and point when there is a named storm in the Gulf that insurance companies will disallow you from obtaining new insurance. They also make it to where residents cannot make any changes to things like your deductibles.”
Becquet said that the first step is to know what is and is not covered. That could mean that along with your general homeowner’s insurance, you will also need something for the wind or a storm surge.
“After Hurricane Harvey especially, we saw both windstorm as well as flood damage,” Becquet said, “and so making sure that you’re properly protected for both risks is absolutely important.”
Keep in mind that in most cases for flood insurance, there is a 30-day waiting period, meaning that you will need to get it now for coverage to begin in July.
If you made renovations or additions to your home during the pandemic, you may also want to adjust the amount of your coverage to reflect the additional value of your property. What would it take to replace what you have, especially given the jump in material and labor costs?
If there is property damage or loss, one thing you can do now that will help alleviate a headache should you need to file a claim later is to get out the cell phone and get some video.
“As far as your personal property, everything inside, take a quick video-walk around your house and then save it to the Cloud where it can’t be damaged and fire can’t destroy it,” said Becquet. “That way, if something happens, we have a point of reference that we can go back to.”
When doing a video inventory, remember to open drawers and cabinets in order to get pictures of what is inside.
Hurricane season runs through November 30.
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