Whenever there is a severe storm like the flooding in the Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina area our inbox gets inundated with questions from policyholders who are entering the insurance claims world for the first time and are seeking answers on how to recover from their damage. Over the next week we’ll publish some of the more popular questions with hopes that we can help others seeking similar answers. 

Q.  What does the NFIP flood policy require me to do after I report my claim.
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As Tampa area businesses and homeowners deal with the serious flood and water damage, they will need the help of a water restoration firm to clean-up and dry out their property. Once local authorities give the all clear and it’s safe to return, mitigation efforts should be started immediately to avoid further damage or mold issues. If insured for the loss, you will find that most insurance policies require that you take reasonable and necessary measures to protect and preserve your property from further damage. This can be a difficult and challenging undertaking that requires decisions often involving a great deal of money at a time when your insurance adjuster may not have seen your loss or given the OK to start the dry-out or restoration process. Our recommendation is to hire the restoration company to do the drying and clean-up work only. You can then get quotes for reconstruction once things are sorted out with your insurance company. If possible, have the restoration company give you the scope of work and pricing in writing and then give it to the insurance adjuster or send it the insurance company for their approval. If possible, schedule a meeting at the site with all parties present. If this is not practical, make sure you take pictures of the damage and document all expenses for your insurance company. If you don’t document your damages, the insurance adjuster may not include it in the damage assessment. 
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For those who do have flood insurance, we encourage you to review and pay close attention to your flood policy’s terms and conditions. The policies issued by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are unique because they fall under a Federal Government program with its own rules and regulations. As an example, the NFIP policy requires you to file a proof-of-loss within 60 days of the flood event. In layman terms, you must have figured out your loss and arrived at a sum certain amount to put on a document called a “proof of loss” and have it submitted to the appropriate person handling your claim. Unless this time period (60 Days) is waived by an authorized official of FEMA/NFIP (as was the case with Superstorm Sandy) the claim may be denied in total for failure to comply with the policy terms and conditions. 

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The no name storm in Tampa has caused widespread water and flood damage in the St. Petersburg and Tampa area. Now that cleanup has begun, many residential and commercial policyholders will submit either a flood (if you have flood insurance) or water damage insurance claim. Make sure you understand the difference between the two before you file. The public adjusters at Tutwiler & Associates urge policyholders to take the proper steps to protect their claim and avoid settlement problems with the following 10 tips.
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Water losses are by far the most frequent claims reported to the insurance industry. I suspect water losses are also the most frequent perils that impact property owners. Since many are not reported however, we really have no accurate data to determine the full scope of damages that water causes notwithstanding the CLUE reports (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) that are filed for reported claims. Yes, both you and your claim data are being stored and indexed by big brother insurance. Who would have thought with all the privacy concerns that your prior property loss information is stored and shared! With flooding everywhere in the southeast and especially Florida and the Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg area due to a stagnant weather low system, it seems timely to cover a few of the issues policyholders are facing with water losses and their insurance claims.
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Action 9 News in Orlando recently did a story about a homeowner who experienced a water loss and quickly hired an emergency contractor who tore out the damaged portion of the kitchen and then kept the insurance proceeds without finishing the job. The conclusion of the report was to strongly recommend that folks that have an insurable loss not sign an all-inclusive right to proceeds contract with a contractor. 

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Our blog of August 5, The Unlicesed Practice of Public Adjusting – The Claims Keep Rolling In  continues to receive comments from many viewpoints and we appreciate the feedback and dialogue in hopes of responsibly addressing the issue. In an attempt to give fair and balanced coverage to the issue, we publish below a comment from Mr. Ron Reese of First General Property Restoration who operates out of Idaho.  I thank Mr. Reese for the time he put into the reply.

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Home and business owners who were impacted by the flooding and water intrusion in Pensacola, Destin, Gulf Breeze and the Ft. Walton Beach areas are starting to hear back from their insurance company about their claims. Many will learn that the claim settlement amount(s) fall short and will not cover the cost of repairing storm damages.
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If you live in the Pensacola, Destin, Gulf Breeze and Ft. Walton Beach area and your home was severely damaged by flood to the extent that it is uninhabitable, your insurance policy may provide a coverage called “Additional Living Expense” or “A.L.E.” Under the Additional Living Expense coverage, you and your family may be entitled to rent another home of the same size, like kind and quality as well as be reimbursed for any extra expenses you may incur such as food and temporary lodging.

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For those who have National Flood Insurance, we encourage you to review and pay close attention to your flood policy’s terms and conditions. The policies issued by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are unique because they fall under a Federal Government program with its own rules and regulations. As an example, the NFIP policy requires you to file a proof-of-loss within 60 days of the flood event. In layman terms, you must have figured out your loss and arrived at a sum certain amount to put on a document called a “proof of loss” and have it submitted to the appropriate person handling your claim. Unless this time period (60 Days) is waived by an authorized official of FEMA/NFIP the claim may be denied in total for failure to comply with the policy terms and conditions.

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