Lessons learned and how to apply them this 2024 hurricane season

Hurricane season is approaching, so now is the time for Southwest Floridians to gear up and protect themselves against potential storms.

Many withstood the heavy damage brought on by Hurricane Ian in 2022, so WINK News Anchor Chris Cifatte wanted to know what lessons were learned and how people can better prepare for the next major storm.

A common lesson learned with homeowners following Ian was what was covered under their insurance.

Public Adjuster Blake Day told Cifatte that pool enclosures and lanais almost always require a separate endorsement.

“I mean, hiring someone like a public adjuster, you don’t need me a lot of times if you have the right things in your policy to begin with,” said Day.

The largest takeaway not covered under homeowners insurance is flooding.

Only one in five people in Florida has a flood policy, but without it, you won’t be covered for rising water problems from a storm.

For those with active flood policies, be sure that the policy includes contents; otherwise, none of your furniture or other personal belongings will be replaced.

“Many don’t have the proper documentation when submitting claims,” said Day.

It’s important to take pictures of all your belongings, as well as labels, serial numbers, and a detailed photo of the “before” image to prove ownership.

Taking photos of the outside of your property is as important as taking photos of inside the home.

“You know, those before-and-after photos are important because your big ticket items are your lanai and your roof. If you have lanai and roof damage, that can be $100,000 plus between the two,” said Day.

Check your windows in case wind or water damage breaks the seal. Then, take a wide shot and an up-close shot in case the stucco is damaged during a heavy storm.

For those comfortable with climbing ladders, it is recommended that you take photos of your roof. Without those pictures, an adjuster could assume the damage was already there.

“It looks like somebody broke a bunch of tiles while doing that, and the homeowner says, ‘Oh, well, here’s a, you know, dated photo, you know,'” said Day. “The day before the hurricane, the same slope or all these tiles were broken, you know, and here are the photos when we got back, and the insurance company said, ‘ Oh wow, you’re right.'”

It may be overwhelming, so it is encouraged to begin the process now.

One more insurance tip: make sure you have replacement value coverage. It costs more, but it means your insurer replaces your old fridge with a new one. Otherwise, if your policy reads “actual cash value,” you only get the value of the old fridge at the time of the storm.