Today, the National Hurricane Center here in Miami announced that Hurricane Earl has been upgraded to a major storm - building to a Category 3 hurricane. Right now, Hurricane Earl is producing winds clocked at 120 mph, and Earl is strengthening by the hour.
The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, among other beautiful places, are under a Hurricane Warning. Unless Earl veers off its expected course, it's expected that the Hurricane will move up the East Coast - missing Florida, creating danger for the Carolinas and up the coastline.
Watching the Hurricane on Radar and Listening to the Forecasts
However, as those here in Florida know all too well, hurricanes have a mind of their own and you're never sure exactly what their path is going to be until the storm decides. Remember all those folk in Mississippi that thought Katrina wasn't going to be a big deal for them? Yeah, lessons learned.
It's smart to monitor what Hurricane Earl is doing -- and it's easy to do by following the online information provided by Miami's National Hurricane Center at its detailed web site, where pages are dedicated to tracking Earl.
Right now, Miami Beach seems to be pretty safe -- we'll get some thunderstorms, but we're not in the danger zone for the most part. However, be clear: even those thunderstorms can carry some weight, and don't be sure that you won't suffer some property damage thanks to Hurricane Earl.
Helpful Tips for Preparing Now for Hurricane Damage -- Get Ready to File that Hurricane Storm Damage Insurance Claim NOW
1. Do you have flood coverage? Remember that standard homeowner's insurance coverage does not cover water damage. You need to have a separate insurance policy for FLOOD INSURANCE to have the company pay a claim for flood damage. Do you think you need additional coverage? Get it asap.
2. Read your policy, and know what's covered. Insurance companies should cover water damage that happens because there was WIND DAMAGE that caused the water damage. If the wind blows a section of your roof off during a thunderstorm, then rain gets inside and causes harm, then the policy should cover that water damage.
Your standard homeowner's policy -- if it's a good one -- should give you other protections, as well. For example, fire should be covered if it results from storm damage. Vandalism may be covered, too. And, your policy may cover the expense of debris removal - along with living expenses if you have to live in a hotel while your home is repaired. If you read your policy and you want additional coverage, don't procrastinate - get it now.
3. Photograph and inventory your property in advance. If the weather gets worse, and you're being warned of a potential hurricane, then it will be to your advantage if you have already secured your property (including labeling your valuables with id info -- remember high winds might move this stuff down the street) in a detailed inventory, and take both still photos of your stuff, as well as video. Upload these to a secure site (for example, Mozy.com - a free service) if you can -- gives you added assurance that the images and info will be there, if and when you need them.
4. Video your property after securing it for the storm. When a hurricane is approaching, Floridians know the drill: you tie down the boats, you board up the windows. Get the stuff off the lawn, get the family out of town. Be sure you keep the tank full of gas, and before you leave, make sure you photograph your property to demonstrate your efforts to safeguard things. You do have a duty to make reasonable precautions against the storm.
5. Don't assume the insurance adjuster is on your side. No matter how friendly those commercials may be, the insurance adjuster is not your friend. He or she is an agent of the insurance company, whose best interests is to keep the money paid out on storm claims as low as possible. They are for-profit companies, remember? Take names and take notes and be careful what you say to the adjuster: your words might come back to haunt you.
Also, don't assume that the adjuster is astute and experienced. These professionals are supposed to be trained in assessing damage, but don't assume that the adjuster on your claim is right. Get your own experts -- appraisers, attorneys -- if things aren't shaping up as they should.
By on August 30, 2010 12:25 PM
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