Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon joined GMA on Tuesday to remind home and business owners of the necessary steps to ensure that property is protected during the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
As the season progresses, the Insurance Commissioner has issued the following tips for Louisiana residents:
Check up on your insurance coverages. Named storm and hurricane deductibles typically run two to five percent of the insured property value. If a home has an insured value of $200,000 with a five percent hurricane deductible, the policyholder would pay $10,000 out of pocket before insurance coverage took effect.
Get flood insurance. Flood damage resulting from heavy rain or storm surge is excluded from most policies and there is typically a 30-day waiting period before a flood insurance policy takes effect. For information on a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy, you can contact your agent or visit www.floodsmart.gov. You can search for an agent on the LDI website www.ldi.la.gov/findagent.
Update your home inventory. You can use your phone to take pictures or video of the items in your home. Having a record of your possessions will make the claims process easier in the event of property damage or loss. Include identifying information such as brand name and serial number.
Have copies of your policies and your agent’s contact information ready to go. In case of an emergency evacuation, you will want to have copies of your family’s essential documents and your agent’s contact information to enable you to start the claims process as soon as possible.
Home and business owners can find more about protecting their property and storm mitigation incentives by going online to ldi.la.gov/hurricaneprep
Hurricane season lasts from June 1 until November 30.