Protect Yourself from Hermine and Water Damage

Hermine is officially here and this tropical storm is likely to lead to significant water damage and flooding all throughout the state. Hopefully, your home will not be among those harmed by this tropical storm. However, this is Florida, so being prepared to fight flooding and water damage is always wise. There are certain things that you can do to protect yourself in the future but for today if you are out driving in these conditions or you need to head to the store, be careful not to drive through any standing water. The sheriff’s department and Emergency Management Systems have been issuing warnings all throughout the day and yesterday, so be on guard to protect yourself while out and about.

In the meantime, it is wise for you to call our office so that we can review your homeowners’ insurance policy. Whether your policy was purchased from our agency or someone else, we can review it for you to make sure that your coverage is what it should be so that you will not have to pay for fixing your home out-of-pocket, in the event that you suffer flooding.

Your homeowners’ insurance policy needs to have enough coverage in place to pay for repairs to the physical structure of your home as well as to pay for replacing your furniture and other valuables. For example, if your living room were to flood, the things that would need to be repaired or replaced are your –

• Flooring

• Walls

• Couches

• Rugs

• Lamps

• Tables

• Electronics

• Personal Items, etc.

Much of what would require repair would not be the structure but the things inside of your home. Unfortunately, many homeowners make the mistake of not insuring all of their personal property. If you do not have items like your huge new television or your fine art collection included in your policy, you may not have enough money to pay to replace them in the event of major damage.  Adding this coverage to your policy is simple, but it does require making a phone call to our office.

Protect Your Home from Hermine and Other Storms

In addition to making sure that you have the right level of insurance coverage, there are other things you can do to protect your home. These include –

#1 Creating natural barriers.

If your home is surrounded by cement, there is no surface for water to sink into or be soaked up by.  Water will simply run wherever it wishes without being absorbed into the earth. Consider planting natural barriers and having a lawn, bark, or plants that thrive in wet conditions and are likely to soak up water during normal rainstorms. While this is not going to stop a tropical storm, it can help to prevent water from running everywhere on a regular basis.

#2 Build cement barriers.

You can help to direct water away from your home by creating cement barriers or even building trenches. This may require the help of a contractor but if you do so strategically, you can help to direct water away from your front door or garage.

#3 Use sandbags.

In the event that there is a major tropical storm like Hermine, your best bet is to buy or fill sandbags that can be placed around your home. This can provide some protection during major storms.

Call Gulf Coast Educators Insurance

For more tips or to have your homeowners’ insurance policy reviewed, call our office and speak with an agent.  We are here for you!