Hurricane Prep Starts Now, Does Your Insurance Got You Covered?
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Insurance is a necessity, but most people hope they never to have to use it.
For anyone who lives in Hurricane Alley, hurricane insurance can be a lifesaver.
With the 2019 Hurricane Season already underway, now is the time to address any insurance concerns you might have.
It wasn't until after Hurricane Michael hit the Panhandle that many people realized they didn't have enough insurance coverage.
"In a crisis, the insurance company doesn't pay you enough money to rebuild it. You gotta scratch real hard into saving in order to survive," said Chuck Sweatt, a Panama City resident.
Now is the time to take inventory.
See what you have and find out if you have adequate coverage for your contents and the building.
You should also check your deductible, a hurricane claim is very different than other claims.
"For example, if your home is a $300,000 home and you have a two percent hurricane deductible, that deductible could be $6,000," said State Farm Insurance Agent Jim Diaz.
Do you have flood insurance?
"If there's rising water outside and it comes into your home, that's a flood policy?" asked CBS4's Ted Scouten.
"That is definitely a flood policy for that. That is not covered under your homeowner's policy," answered Diaz.
"A lot of people don't realize that," Scouten added.
"They don't, they don't," Diaz said.
Did you know, if your car is damaged during a storm, while in the garage, your homeowner's policy does not cover it?
"If my car is paid off and I just have liability, trying to save some money and my car is parked in the garage, and the garage comes down on my car, what happens?" said Scouten.
"You're still going to need to have comprehensive coverage. Your car is a different item and will not be covered under your homeowner's policy," explained Diaz.
You should call your insurance agent and ask these four questions:
- What is my deductible?
- Am I covered for replacement value?
- Am I covered for flood?
- If I'm a renter, what's included in my policy?
Start now, before there's any storm on the horizon, to check with your insurance agent to make sure that you're adequately covered.
If you are having trouble or have questions about your insurance coverage, call Florida's Insurance Consumer Helpline at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236) or log onto https://www.myfloridacfo.com/.
