Hurricane Season 2018

Jun 4, 2018

Hurricane Season 2018

HURRICANE SEASON: JUNE 1 – NOVEMBER 30, 2018

We are open and here to assist you!

If you are a homeowner, business owner, or property owner, call us immediately at 407.478.4878 or email us at harvey@itsaboutjustice.law.

For more information about the work we do with insurance claims, CLICK HERE.

Before the Storm

When a hurricane threatens your community, be prepared to evacuate if you live in a storm surge risk area. Allow enough time to pack and inform friends and family if you need to leave your home. It is also extremely important for you to have records of your property’s condition in the event that you need to file a claim with your insurance company.

Photograph Your Property’s:

  • Interior
  • Exterior
  • Roof

Document Your Belongings

With proper documentation, you may also be able to recover lost expenses for home contents, personal property, and other items. Here is a list of items to consider keeping receipts for or appraising:

  • Televisions
  • Furniture
  • Jewelry
  • Artwork
  • Appliances
  • Computers
  • Antiques
  • Beds
  • Decks
  • Other electronic equipment

Know Your Zone & Options:

  • Do you live near the Gulf or Atlantic Coasts?
  • Find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation area by contacting your local government/emergency management office or by checking the evacuation site website.
  • Identify where you will shelter in case you are ordered to leave your home, and share the location with your family.
  • If relying on public transportation, contact your local emergency agencies about evacuation procedures

Write or Review Your Family Emergency Plan:

  • Sit down with your family or close friends and decide how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go, and what you will do in an emergency.
  • Keep a copy of this plan in your emergency supplies kit or another safe place where you can access it in the event of a disaster.
  • Keep important phone numbers with you at all times.

Put Together an Emergency Supplies Kit:

  • Put together a basic disaster supplies kit that will last for at least 10 days and consider storage locations for different situations.
  • Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters.
  • Have extra medications on hand.
  • Practice how you would take along your supplies including medications and medical devices.
  • Pay special attention to infants, the elderly and people with disabilities and access and functional needs.
  • Have on hand toys, books, and crayons for the children.

Review your Homeowner’s Insurance:

  • Review your insurance policy to ensure that you have adequate coverage for your home.
  • Contact us if you have questions about your policy.

Protect Your Pets

  • Make sure someone is available to care for your pets if you can’t.
  • Get food, water, and a collar with identification tag.
  • Keep pets inside the house or take them to a pre-identified safe location.
  • In mass care shelters, pets will be taken to a reserved space. Certified service pets are allowed to stay with their owners for emotional support.

Be Financially Prepared

  • Anticipate out-of-pocket expenses for lodging, food, gas and more.
  • Keep some cash handy, in large and small bills.
  • Save a few dollars each week and spread out your shopping for your 10 days’ worth of supplies.

Secure Your Home:

  • Cover all of your home’s windows.
  • Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows.
  • A second option is to board up windows with 5/8 inch exterior grade or marine plywood, built to fit and ready to install.

Stayed Tuned In:

  • Check the websites of your local National Weather Service office and local government/emergency management office.
  • Find out what type of emergencies could occur and how you should respond.
  • Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or other radio or TV stations for the latest storm news.
Follow instructions issued by local officials. Leave immediately if ordered!

 If NOT Ordered to Evacuate:

  • Take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level during the storm.
  • Put as many walls between you and the outside as you can.
  • Stay away from windows, skylights, and glass doors.
  • If the eye of the storm passes over your area, there will be a short period of calm, but at the other side of the eye, the wind speed rapidly increases to hurricane force winds coming from the opposite direction.
After the Storm*

*When it is safe to do so!

Again, Photograph Your Property’s:

  • Interior
  • Exterior
  • Roof

Contact an Attorney

  • Consult with an attorney experienced in handling insurance claims before giving any recorded statements or meeting with an adjuster assigned to the claim.

Obtain an Property Inspection

  • Homeowners should obtain an inspection by a qualified contractor and/or roofer to assess whether the hurricane force winds have damaged or diminished the roofing system and building envelope.

Addressing Water Damage

  • Just because water has not began to enter the structure does not mean that there is not damage to their property.
Insurance Policy Information

What is Covered? 

Generally, covered properties are divided into four separate categories. The definitions of the property, and the extent of coverage vary by state, company and product. So it is important for the consumer to understand the definitions of the covered property. The four separate categories for your home, as defined by insurance companies, are:

1. Dwelling – The structure of the house is considered a covered property.

2. Other Structures – These are structures that are separate from the house, or connected to the house by a fence, wire or other form of connection, but not otherwise attached to the dwelling, such as a tool shed or detached garage.

3. Personal Property – The contents of your home are your personal property. This includes furniture, appliances and clothing. Not all personal property is covered. Items more appropriately covered under different forms of insurance may have limited or no coverage for loss. These items include, but are not limited to, money, jewelry and firearms.

4. Loss of Use – When a loss occurs due to a covered peril and the dwelling becomes uninhabitable, the cost of additional living expenses is covered. Reimbursement of additional living expenses covers the cost to the insured for maintaining a normal standard of living.

How Much is My Deductible?

Hurricane deductibles and their triggers are set by law and are the same for the private, or regular market, as well as Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (CPIC), the state-run program which provides property insurance to consumers. The hurricane deductible applies only once during a hurricane season. All insurers must offer a hurricane deductible of $500, 2 percent, 5 percent and 10 percent of the policy dwelling or structure limits. The percentages are based on the total value of the home (e.g., a 10 percent hurricane deductible on a $200,000 home would be $20,000). In some cases a deductible of more than 10 percent is permissible. For example, for homes that are insured for less than $500,000, the deductible can be higher than 10 percent if the homeowner states the dollar value of the deductible in a letter to the insurer. The deductible must be stated in the policy as a dollar amount regardless of the percentage.

Does My Policy Cover Hurricanes?

Most property insurance policies provide coverage for losses resulting from hurricanes, except for flood loss associated with the hurricane. However, some policies only provide limited coverage for hurricanes, or require that a higher deductible be purchased specifically for the hurricane peril. Most states with risk of loss from hurricanes have government mandated insurance plans that provide hurricane coverage to property owners who are unable to obtain insurance through the voluntary market. If you’re not sure, call us at 407-478-4878.

General Information on Hurricanes

For the 2018 hurricane season, the following are potential hurricane names for the North Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico:

  • Alberto
  • Beryl
  • Chris
  • Debby
  • Ernesto
  • Florence
  • Gordon
  • Helene
  • Isaac
  • Joyce
  • Kirk
  • Leslie
  • Michael
  • Nadine
  • Oscar
  • Patty
  • Rafael
  • Sara
  • Tony
  • Valerie
  • William

Hurricane: The National Weather Service defines a hurricane as a “tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher.”

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale: This 1-5 scale estimates the intensity of potential property damage as a result of a hurricanes. A Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane.

Hurricane Watch: indicates the possibility that a region could experience hurricane conditions within 48 hours.

Hurricane Warning: indicates that sustained winds of at least 74 mph are expected within 36 hours.

Category 1 Hurricane:

  • 74-95 mph
  • Minimal, with some roof leakage, gutter damage, snapped tree branches and toppled trees with shallow roots

Category 2 Hurricane:

  • 96 to 110 mph
  • Moderate, with major roof and siding damage; uprotted trees could block roads; power loss possible for days to weeks

Category 3 Hurricane:

  • 111 to 129 mph
  • Devastating damage, with gable and decking damage, many more uprooted trees and extended power outages

Category 4 Hurricane:

  • 130 to 156 mph
  • Catastrophic damage; roofs and exterior walls will be destroyed; trees will snap; power outages for weeks to months. Large area uninhabitable for weeks or months

Category 5 Hurricane:

  • 157 mph or higher
  • High fraction of framed houses will be destroyed; power outages for weeks to months; and huge swaths uninhabitable for same period
RESOURCES
SCHOOL CLOSURES & SHELTERS
  • For Florida Department of Education updates, CLICK HERE.
  • To find currently open shelters, CLICK HERE.
SOURCES

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