Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the many residents of Texas, Louisiana and Florida who were impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. As the hurricanes have passed, many families and businesses must now face their own “road to recovery”; a road that can be very long and also very expensive.
Bobby Levin, SPPA, Chairman, President, and CEO at Globe Midwest Adjusters International, notes that both the property insurance and the NFIP flood claim filing processes can be extremely complicated, requiring an extensive level of detail regarding the scope of loss.
“It’s very unfortunate that many people don’t know they are underinsured until disaster strikes and they are in dire need of an adequate insurance safety net. It is our experience that most people will find themselves with insufficient insurance, therefore it is critical to determine damages and segregate your claims between your primary wind and your flood policy to maximize your coverage under each of these policies. FEMA will provide additional assistance for the damages that are in excess of your policy limits; however, you must present your claim and the proper documentation in order to get this assistance. This is why it often takes a team to determine the proper coverages for each of our clients.” – Bobby Levin, SPPA, Chariman, President & CEO at Globe MWAI
In order to assist affected home and business owners, we have compiled a series of links to important property damage and insurance resources:
- FEMA’s Emergency Declaration for Louisiana as a result of Tropical Storm Harvey
- FEMA’s Major Disaster Declaration for Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey
- FEMA’s Major Disaster Declaration for Florida as a result of Hurricane Irma
- “Settling Insurance Claims After a Disaster” – The Insurance Information Institute
- “Hurricanes Harvey and Irma: Insurance FAQs” – The Insurance Information Institute
- “Hurricane Harvey – Insurance Help” – United Policyholders
- “Help After Harvey” – Texas Department of Insurance
- “Hurricane Resource Center” – Louisiana Department of Insurance
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation’s Consumer Resources Page
