Are You Ready & Protected From Severe Summer Storms?

6/2/2021 (Permalink)

Since 1980, the U.S. has sustained nearly 200 weather-related disasters in which overall financial damages reached or exceeded $1 billion. 

While we are blessed to live in a part of the U.S. people flock to, we also are unusually vulnerable to dangerous summer weather in the form of tornadoes, hail storms, wind storms, lightning strikes, and more.

As you think about summer storms, ask yourself these 3 key questions:

• What can I do—that is in my control right now—to protect my home, auto, boat, and general property from severe summer-storm damage?
• What insurance coverage do I need to protect myself financially if anything I own is damaged by summer storms?
• What should I do if my home, auto, boat, or other property sustain any damage?

These things are in your control, and a smart way to typically minimize the damage from summer storms:

• Hire professionals to inspect your roof, to make sure it is fully waterproof and that rain runs off it properly.
• Inspect and clean gutters and downspouts.
• Install shutters to protect windows from high winds and hail (or, as a backup, use plywood covers).
• Install a sump pump in your basement.
• Make sure trees—especially those near your house—are properly trimmed.
• If possible, park your car, RV, motorcycle, and boat in a garage or otherwise under cover.
• Place a hail-resistant cover over your vehicles and boat.
• Complete a printed and/or video home inventory.
• Make sure everyone in your family knows the safest evacuation routes.
• Survey your property for flood potential, and make sure you have flood and sewage backup coverage.

Make sure you have the right insurance and know what is and is not covered. Understand that:

* Most homeowners’ insurance doesn’t cover flooding. This means you will need to get a separate policy for any damages caused by waters rising out of the ground or rivers, and by other bodies of water overflowing their banks.

* Most homeowners’ insurance does cover damage to your property resulting from hail, wind, and lightning. 

* You must have comprehensive insurance coverage on your car to recover financial losses resulting from hail, flood, or damage from falling trees or limbs.

We hope you never have to deal with damage to your home, car, boat, or other property caused by summer storms. But here’s what to do if it occurs:

• Document—as specifically and rigorously as possible—the time, date, and severity of the storm. Do this using photographic and written documentation.
• Immediately call your insurance company.
• Work only with licensed contractors to repair damage.