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Category: Storm/Hurricane Tips

  • Storm preparation discounts in Florida may soon disappear

    A quick blog posts for those residents of Florida who have been enjoying state-enabled discounts for storm-preparedness: get them while you can as they might not be around much longer.

    “What we’re giving them now is not right,” Apopka State Representative Bryan Nelson (R) said.

    Nelson is both a lawmaker and an insurance agent. He said those discounts need to be cut so inland homeowners can stop subsidizing premiums for coastal homeowners.

    For example, the statewide average discount for fortifying your home is 13 percent. For coastal-area homes it’s 50 percent — a greater reward for protecting homes at greater risk of damage.

    The discount, for those homeowners who had wind resistant shutters, fortified roofs, etc., was pushed upon insurance providers by the state to give homeowners some shelter from high premiums. However, some lawmakers believe it has gone too far.

    During the next few months, lawmakers will review recommendations from insurance companies about how they may want to reduce or eliminate premium discounts especially for coastal homeowners. They’ll vote on a measure in the spring and those changes would take affect in January 2011.

    With State Farm increasing premiums and such, it will be interesting to see how the legislature handles this matter – and how policy-owners react.

  • NOAA Hurricane Outlook for 2009

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a governmental agency focused on monitoring the ocean and atmosphere throughout the year, has released its 2009 figures for what it expects to see this hurricane season:

    While this might not seem like much, it is a more positive outlook than we saw last year. In last year’s predictions, there was a 65% prediction of more hurricanes than normal, as compared to 25% this year. As such, the Gulf Coast region may get a calm this season which would be a very welcome reality given the past decade and the amount of devastating storms that came through recently.

    For tips on how to prepare for hurricane season, check out our section on hurricane and storm tips found here.

  • Timeline anew for Katrina lawsuits

    Catching up on June happenings, it is important for those individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina to know that the timeline in which they may file for claims involving damage from the epic storm has been reset.

    From NOLA.com

    The class action allegations against insurers in the consolidated levee breach litigation have been dismissed, restarting the clock for anyone who is dissatisfied with the results of their Katrina claim and allowing them to file a lawsuit against their insurer nearly four years after the storm.

    Home and business owners and renters had two years to file lawsuits against insurers over claim disputes after the Aug. 29, 2005, storm. Class action lawsuit filings stop the legal clock by covering the rights of all potential members of a class, but if that petition fails to get certified as a class or individual defendants get cut from the proceedings, plaintiffs’ individual legal rights to pursue similar claims are restored.

    On Tuesday (June 16), U.S. District Court Judge Stanwood R. Duval Jr. granted a request by insurers to be severed from the Katrina Canal Breaches Consolidated Litigation, saying that disputes against insurers were individual, and not suitable to be handled as part of a class action.

    It is important for Louisiana homeowners to work immediately to look for legal action should they not have already and hold insurers responsible in the event their homes were damaged. Late answers to policy claims and frivolous delays or demands should
    be answered by demanding the rights promised to them by the country’s judicial system and contacting an attorney should working through their agent be stonewalled is the most definitive and proper action.

  • City publishes helpful hurricane preparedness guide

    As a heartening sign that lessons of the past have been learned, one city’s government has published a hurricane preparedness guide that is a solid tool for anyone in the Gulf Coast region to utilize.

    Available off of their website, the City of Boynton Beach has published a PDF that walks users through how to be best prepared in the event of a storm. As they put it

    The best way to cope with a hurricane is to prepare a plan in advance. The 2009 Hurricane Preparedness Guide is a compilation of the best advice from experts at the City of Boynton Beach, the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other knowledgeable sources. It was written specifically for residents of Boynton Beach and contains important telephone numbers and locations of Publix stores and gasoline service stations with generators

    While it is true some items are specific to their city, the PDF as a whole is a wealth of information on preparation, information and common traits of shelters and other governmental actions which cross city and state borders in terms of policy. The guide may be downloaded off of their website or by clicking here

  • FEMA speaks out on importance of flood insurance

    FEMA recently came out to publicly encourage residents of Florida and the Gulf Coast to get flood coverage, regardless of how susceptible to risk they may be. In doing this, the government is bringing more attention to the need for proper insurance policies and to prevent having to help out thousands of people who thought it ‘could never happen to them.’
    Matt Gilmour of the Tallahassee Democrat highlights this important step on the part of FEMA

    With hurricane season under way, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is reminding Florida residents about the importance of flood insurance, even if they don’t live in high-risk areas.

    “It takes 30 days for flood policies to take effect and be active, so today’s a good day to speak to a local insurance agent about what policy would be best for you,” FEMA coordinating officer Jeff Bryant said in a written statement.

    Anyone who lives in a community that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program can purchase flood insurance, and between 20-25 percent of those who file flood-insurance claims do not live in areas at high risk for flooding, according to a news release from FEMA. After Tropical Storm Fay in 2008, nearly 150 flood-insurance policyholders with properties in areas with a low-to-moderate risk for flooding received more than $7 million from the insurance program in settlement payouts.

    “This should be a lesson to us all that everyone needs flood insurance — even those who believe their property won’t flood because their home or business is in an area that normally doesn’t flood,” said Doug Wright, state coordinating officer with the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

    FEMA is helping all eligible applicants who register directly with the agency and urging them to file claims as soon as possible to help speed up their recovery. For more information, visit www.floodsmart.gov or call (888) 275-6347 or (800) 427-5593.

    By being proactive on prevention of home and property owners from having too little of coverage, FEMA and the government are trying to avoid catastrophe while at the same time keep information out and fresh. Both are extremely important and positive actions at a time where money is short and people looking to save a little bit of money might not garner the coverage they need that, in the event of a disaster, could be catastrophic.

  • Houston boasts new Hurricane center

    On the campus of the University of Houston, a new storm preparation center will work to educate students and area locals on the effects and dangers of hurricanes while developing technology to predict and innovate protection against such storms. Justin Horne of KIAH reports

    The Texas Hurricane Center for innovative technology was developed last year at the University of Houston. The center was created with ideas, in mind, to combat the effects of hurricane season. And now researchers are ready to make these ideas a reality.

    Dr. Vipulanandan, a civil engineering professor at the University of Houston, has been working with his engineering students to develop this technology.

    The center’s theme is “rapid recovery”, and their plans for future technology could be revolutionary. Dr.C. Vipulanandan believes the new wave of technology is effective. “This is being used in Japan very effectively and other countries in Europe. I think it is time for us Texans to wake up and look at alternatives to protect our coastline,” he said.

    In the meantime, the research continues, and students will be ready if another hurricane head this way. On August 7th, the center will be hosting a conference that will include speakers like Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst and Mayor Bill White. The conference will focus on the latest plans and procedures to prepare for hurricanes. This event is open to the public.

    Any education or research regarding hurricanes and how to best prepare for the onslaught of one is a positive assistance to the community as a whole. Hopefully this new center will help make sure that the disasters of tomorrow are not as bad as they have been, or could be, should such storms arise in the future.

  • Making yourself familiar with your insurance policy and coverage

    With hurricane season in full swing, it is important for home and property owners to be fully aware and clear about their insurance and coverage, or lack thereof, that it provides. Whether living in a flood plain or tucked safely in a non-flooding area, residents of the Gulf Coast can be affected all the same by a hurricane by the list of dangers such as wind or rain damage. Going through your policy and making sure the proper cover necessary to properly rebuild in the event of storm damage is there will help prevent nasty surprises should the unthinkable happen and serious destruction befalls you.

    Tim Engstrom from Southwest Florida’s News-Press has more

    Most homeowners – especially those outside high-hazard coastal zones – can find coverage, but it is likely to be with a newer, less-familiar company, said Randy Duncan, an agent with the Insurance Depot of Lee County in Cape Coral.

    “The days of name-brand coverage are over,” Duncan said. “All that really matters is whether the company is A-rated – can it cover its expenses in the event of a loss?”
    There is no “hurricane insurance”; homeowners’ insurance is actually a collection of insurance coverage that includes such hazards as windstorm, fire, lightning and more.

    Duncan said homeowners frequently forget that their windstorm coverage typically carries a much higher deductible – based on a percentage of the insured value – than other coverage.

    The article goes on, citing the need to reup your policy coverage in the event of home upgrades or additions, as well as keeping an extra copy of insurance documents with personal documentation in a safety deposit box or other “outside” storage area away from the home. Available here, the article is a good read for anyone living in the Gulf Coast to make sure they are up to task on their preparation and insurance values.

  • Innovative bill in South Carolina aids coastal residents with insurance policies

    In an article by Kristy Eppley Rupon of The State regarding insurance policies along the Eastern coast, a new act by South Carolina’s government has helped quell fears of insurance company lockouts and helped residents secure policies where they may not have otherwise. The legislative act shows there may be some innovation in the Gulf Coast region to keep insurers from leaving like they have threatened to, or have, in other states.

    Insurers started dropping policies in late 2006, after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the Gulf Coast. They were worried about surviving another catastrophic hit.

    That put many coastal homeowners in a bind and left state governments scrambling to come up with a solution.

    South Carolina’s answer was the Coastal Omnibus Act, which enticed insurers to enter the state’s market and write policies along the coast, Richardson said.

    Many states, especially Florida, got heavily involved in the insurance industry, making it hard for companies to operate there and make a profit, said Ray Farmer, assistant vice president for the American Insurance Association’s Atlanta regional office.
    “South Carolina’s legislation is kind of unique to the rest of the country,” Farmer said. “It keeps the free market at work and relies on that instead of state-funded programs.”

    Several other states are now pulling from South Carolina’s plan to mold their own reform acts, Farmer said.

    The plan gives tax incentives to homeowners to make their homes stronger, for example, by reinforcing roofs and putting shutters on windows, Richardson said.

    Such governmental action to call upon the citizens to take action to better protect themselves not only relaxes insurers but demonstrates a self-reliance that keeps the government from being a consistent fail-safe. It would be great to see this sort of reform act pop up in other states to keep insurance companies around and providing good coverage in an area that desperately needs it.

  • Four charged with fraud in Katrina relief case

    While catching up on some hurricane news for the Gulf Coast region from June, we came across this story about relief fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina

    A federal grand jury in Atlanta has accused four people of fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in government assistance for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

    Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that 37-year-old Kristine Clark and 24-year-old Michael Rouzan, both of Decatur, Ga., were charged in one indictment, and 26-year-old Markisha Burks of Dallas and 43-year-old Lucien Danthon of Atlanta were named in separate indictments accusing them of falsely claiming they resided in New Orleans at the time of the 2005 storm.

    Charges include wire fraud, mail fraud and theft of government funds.

    Prosecutors say Clark and Rouzan obtained $32,000 for housing assistance and purported property damage, and a trailer in Hammond, La., where they lived from May 2006 to March 2008.

    It’s extremely frustrating to hear of how people took advantage of the tragedy suffered by the city of New Orleans but even moreso to see how their claims may justify stricter action by the government that can injure those with real needs after the next tragedy. Punishment for such fraud should be handled swiftly and aggressively to send a message so that if such an event occurs, anywhere in the country, opportunists avoid taking assistance from the people who truly need it. In the event there is any debate over eligibility for such assistance, contact an attorney or government official immediately before assuming and opening yourself up for jail time and fines.

  • Revised New Orleans flood-risk maps on display

    Per The Times-Picayune

    Newly revised Preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps showing the potential for flooding caused by a 100-year rainfall and hurricane-strength surge for New Orleans will be available for review and discussion at a Wednesday open house in City Park.

    The event will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters in the City Park Botanical Gardens on Victory Drive.

    Specialists will be available to answer questions about the maps, which will be available in paper and digital formats.

    Viewing the maps is a great opportunity for home and property owners to see an updated technological analysis of their risk of flooding. With experts on hand to help explain what is being illustrated, New Orleans residents may find out more on how rainfall specifically may affect and harm their home depending on where it sits in the city.

    The Louisiana Mapping Project may be found online at www.lamappingproject.com. There you will find more information and details regarding FEMA’s Louisiana Mapping Project and how they are developed and adopted. You may also call the project through their call center at (866) 751-3989, M-F 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.