Business

Flood Insurance Questions, Rumors, Next Steps after Harvey

By Hello Woodlands | September 8, 2017

What do I do? Where do I go? What happens next? These are common questions that Randy Lovelace of Paragon Independent Insurance Agencies has been receiving after Harvey.

Hello Woodlands Jenny Kelley talked with Randy Lovelace regarding questions about flood insurance, rumors, and steps to take after Harvey.

Randy shared that the first step after receiving damage to your property is to call your insurance agent or visit myflood.com to file a claim. Once claim has been filed and the water has receded, you can then start cleaning out your house. Be sure to take plenty of pictures and save parts of the materials that you remove for adjusters to review.

Is there a deadline to file a flood insurance claim? No! The new Texas law does NOT make a difference to the flood claim process and your flood claim was due by September 1st. Other false rumors include claims that you are not able to remove materials from your house and other scams found here.

How much of the damaged materials do you need to keep to share with adjusters? Keep a few square feet of the carpet, and enough that adjusters can see the quality of the carpet. Separate the goods that you remove and have different categories which will be easier for cleanup and debris disposal. You also can’t too many pictures of the materials and your house!

What’s next? Unfortunately, you will have to hurry up and wait. Flood insurance takes time and is usually a longer process than homeowners insurance. It will take longer to get a check from FEMA, but eventually you will. Remember to take many pictures, keep your receipts, and help your neighbor in the meantime.

Many seniors and disabled residents are not physically able to clean up their own homes and need help. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-451-1954 to request assistance or visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/

To contact Randy Lovelace and to ask additional questions, call (281) 291-0440, email rlovelace@paragoninsagencies.com and visit https://www.paragoninsagencies.com/woodlands/