What You Need To Know About Hurricane Insurance

The joy of fall can be tainted by the threat that hurricane season is still with us until November 1st. Make sure your home and your family are prepared and insured for anything that could happen. 

Hurricanes and the Lowcountry go together like a day at the beach and a potential sunburn. No matter how much we love living here, there are just a few things that come with the territory. Hurricanes, flooding, and tropical storms are just some of the potentially dangerous, scary, and everyday threats we have to live with. It's the price to pay for living in one of the most beautiful places in the southeast. No matter if you're new to Lowcountry or not, you always need to make sure you're prepared for anything. Your home needs to be safe and secured, your evacuation plan needs to be established, and your insurance needs to be ready to support your home and property through what ever damage these storms could bring. According to Forbes, NOAA updated its 2020 storm prediction to upwards of 13 to 19 storms, already reaching 9 named storms by August of this year. In the past that many storms didn't appear until October. Over 60 million people are living right in the hot spot for these storms, and South Carolina is apart of that. Even if you aren't currently insured for the damages a hurricane can bring there is no better time than now to get started. 

• According to Forbes, the good news is that some home insurance companies will give some partial insurance reimbursement for home improvements when preparing for hurricane season. Make sure to check in with us or your insurance provider to see if this will be an option for you. If you're in the market for a new policy, let us know if you'd like this to be an option or something available to you while we research the perfect plans! Hurricane shutters, windows, and roof protection can be some of the options that can be covered with a discount or a rate reduction with some insurance plans. 
• Before hurricane season starts, you should spend some time sitting down with your policy to see what coverage you do have and what you might be lacking. If there is anything you might want to add to your current policy, please don't hesitate to chat with us about that. Also, if there is anything unclear about your policy, we are more than happy to explain and walk you through it. 
• Take the time to make a proper inventory of your belongings just in case serious damage occurs. You can keep a written or digital list of your belongings, but taking a video can save you time and help with speeding up the adjustment process. If they can see it with their own eyes, the proof in what you lost is right there. They will see your electronics and valuables and will be able to price it quickly and proficiently. These videos can be stored in your cloud or your Google Drive, away from harm or other damage. 
• Consider buying flood insurance. Even if you don't think it's necessary, consider the trend of hurricanes in the last few years. Coverage is now available further inland than ever before, thanks to damage and flooding from hurricanes like Harvey in 2017 and the like. Do your research and weigh the pros and cons with us to keep you safe and within your budget. 
• It's hard to truly grasp the inevitable, but make sure your policy can cover some very big expenses. The Insurance Information Institute recommends that you should have a plan that will cover the expenses to rebuild your home if it comes to that. It is important to know that the resale value of your home is not the amount that it will take to rebuild it. If faced with such devastation, the last thing you want to worry about is if you'll be able to put a roof back over you and your family or not. 
• When it comes to your possessions, along with taking meticulous inventory of what you have, make sure your policy covers and protects enough of what is important to you from the bottom floor to the attic. 
• Don't forget to check your policy for other expenses that will need to be covered when disaster strikes. If your home has been destroyed, has serious flood damage, or your roof is missing, you'll need somewhere to stay. Some plans will offer ALE coverage, additional living expenses, that will cover the costs you'll build up if you have to lives somewhere else if your home has been rendered uninhabitable. According to the Insurance Information Institute, ALE will cover your hotel, meals, and other expenses that are above and beyond what you'd have to spend at home. 
• When you check in with your insurance company or with us while preparing for a hurricane, make sure you have a policy that covers your car, boat, and other vehicles. Make sure to ask about coverage on additional buildings on your property like garages, storage units, sheds, and more. 
• Keep all insurance documents in a safe and dry space. Adding them to your evacuation kit along with other important documents is always a safe idea. 
• Always make sure you have the right deductible for what you need. Just to be safe, make sure you have the deductible amount saved up to pay it off when disaster strikes. Not having enough set aside to pay that deductible can prolong the recovery process. It might seem like a hefty sum to pay right now, but it will be far less than paying to replace everything lost in a disaster. 

How does your insurance plan stand up to all of these requirements, needs, and reminders? Are you ready for hurricane season and what's left of it? If not, please don't panic. We are just a phone call away and are here to help you get protected and covered. We are excited to work with you and love being a part of the Summerville community!

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